Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi. I recently discovered this site and i am asking for help from anyone who knows turtle species, especialy Identifying them. About 2 months ago, i found a beautiful, fairly large turtle on my lawn. i was shocked. I decided to keep him/her because it appeared to have a sticky tar like substance on its shell. I cleaned it off, and fed it. It was lethargic and had mucous in its mouth, but has since healed wonderfully.

I offer the turtle a variety of fresh foods, including strawberries, dark leafy greens, carrot shreds, and other fine Vegetables and fruits. It will NOT eat any of them. It will eat only cooked meat, particularly Boiled chicken. It will not eat from a pan or tray, it will only eat out of my hand. It appears very tame and i suspect it was a pet at one time. I need to ID this turtles species for 2 reasons. 1, i need to know if its endangered and if i should relinquish it to the proper authorities.

2, i need to know what species for the benefit of habitat, food, etc. I have it in a 25 gallon plastic bin lined with Grass clipping and leaves. One the other side of the bin i have a shallow water pan so that it can slide into the water when it wants. It gets partial sun, about 8 hours a day. He seems happy and healthy but i need to ID this species. How can i post a picture on this site? Please help me out. If someone would like photos to help me ID this turtle, my email is JayV24@cs.com

Thanks
John From Ny

Well , you're going to need to at least describe the turtle. Such as the colors and patterns if any on the top shell , and the colors and patterns on the bottom shell the colors and patterns on it's skin, and the state and area where you found it.

The easiest way would be to email a photo of it to some of us (mine is nathan(at)aileo.com if you wish).

I can tell you that no turtle species in the world can survive healthy for long in a 25 gallon container. Since it's a native species, once you know what it is you should be able to construct a nice outdoor pen with a bit of elbow grease and some cash. A suitable pen can be made that is an attractive addition to the yard and animal can live outdoors year round in it.

o