Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
I have had a RES for about a year now.He was won at a carnival of all places and was about the size of a half dollar when I got him.He is very healthy and active and eats like a horse.My question is,the other day,while on a trout fishing trip,I found a small RES sitting in the leaves on the bank.The water temp that day was about 45 degrees.I picked her up and she was very docile showing no fear at all she did not hide in her shell or try to get away.That makes me wonder if she was a discarded pet.Are RES native to Pa? She seems like she was starving.Her front legs are skinny although her back legs appear ok.Her shell seems healthy and her eyes look ok.She did have diahrea when I brought her home.I put her in the tank with the other and that fast, they are inseparable.No fighting at all.She only pecks at food in tank(I feed them reptomin pellets and freeze dried shrimp)she might eat one or two of the shrimp then go bask but it seems like thats all she wants to do.Is it ok to put them together like that without knowing if she is completely healthy or not and will it affect the other?I'm going on only basic knowledge here.I knew nothing about turtles before that carnival but he was so cute I vowed to take good care of him.Any suggestions???? thanks!

Most say you should quarantine the new turtle for a few weeks/months in order to make sure it has no diseases before you introduce it to the turtle you already have. it could also have parasites from living outside. these can easily be introduced to your old turtle and kill it. some people say that taking the new turtle to the vet to have it looked over is a good idea also. i am not sure if it was wise of you to stick them together so quickly. i have always read that you need to introduce turtles to each other slowly, so that they become comfortable with other turtles in their surroundings, especially if they have lived alone most of their lives! but it's great that yours get along well. i just hope that your new turtle doesnt have anything wrong with it! and no, turtles are not native to this area, so odds are it was either a RES that someone left go or it's an offspring of a RES that was let go. Good luck, and good job saving it! hope this helps...
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~ Evie

Pets:
German Shephard {Dusty}
German Shephard/Collie mix {Shadoe}
2 RES turtles {Booger and Snot}
African Clawed Frog {Bingo}
Snail {Gary}

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!! separate the two of them!!! she could have many parasites and other things that your turtle has no immunity to. you must quarantine her and take her to the vet. if she seems skinny and has diarhea, she could have intestinal worms and you don`t want your turtle to get them too. in fact, since they have already been housed together and with her having diarhea, she could have already given him something. please take them both to the vet for a checkup. also, you should be feeding at least 50% of thier diet as veggies. too much protien causes obesity and shell problems. do you have a uvb flourescent tube? if you do not, then they will get softshell unless you are vigilant about taking them outside for sun DAILY. also, babies or sick res`s should have a nice warm basking spot and warm water. at least 80 in the water and 85 for basking. you might want to confirm these temps, since a new environment is undoubtedly stressful for your new little girl. good luck!

meagan