Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My grandmother kept a RES in a plastic storage box with h2o and a turtle raft,-changed the water daily, and fed it romaine lettuce for over 45 years! I "inherited" the turtle last year when she went into assisted living. I set it up in a 25 gallon tank w/ a zoo-med filter, basking area, clean h2o-enough to submerge if it wishes-and a small external reptile heating pad this winter. It also has a flourescent reptile light which I have turned on 8-10 hr's a day.
The turtle has always hibernated (Nov-Spring) under less than optimum conditions. My question is: the turtle is still not eating- I've tried the romaine leaf a couple of times a week for the past couple of weeks. Shouldn't he be coming out of his snooze by now? He has lost a bit of weight, and shell is soft and slightly pitted (white)- I attributed this to his flipping over backward a few times last summer when he was active. The turtle is getting more attention than he has in 40 years-I'm concerned-he's made it this far. Do I need to be doing more??

My neighbor has a red ear slider in a ten gal tank half filled with water with a rock. She said she got it in a 5 and 10 cent store 39 years ago. She has it on a little counter in her kitchen by a window for 39 years. She changes the water every day, and lets it swim in the sink while she changes the water. YUK!! She has only fed it turtle sticks, as she calls them. It is a female...she never knew until I told her. She calls it Pete and talks to her all day. Well Pete is beautiful and healthy, and as soon as she calls her she jumps off the rock and comes. In the summer she takes her in the yard for a walk, and sits in a swing with Pete on her lap. She has never changed this routine for 39 years, and her Pete is beautiful and healthy. Go figure...

Thanks for your response. Yes! Grandma used to wash "Sara" in the kitchen sink as well- we would all cringe when she washed lettuce for our salad in the same sink. I went to the pet store and they suggested a 75watt heat lamp to coax Sara' out of HIS hibernation....we'll see what happens....I'm also wondering if Sara is a painted turtle rather than a RES, he doesn't have any red- just black and yellow.

Here is a picture of my Eastern Painted hatchling. Where did she hibernate the turtle? In the house? I never let my turtles hibernate outside in the winter, but was thinking of doing that this winter. I have to find out how deep the pond should be and just how to go about that. On another message board someone told me that they hibernate their painted turtles in a kiddie pool on their front porch, and sent me a picture of it all covered in snow. Can you post a picture of the turtle?
Terry

shell is soft and slightly pitted (white)-

That doesn't sound too good. I would get her to a vet. It would be a shame to loose her after all these years. I had a slider that had that same problemn, and I lost her after only 2 weeks. Now I take mine to a vet as soon as I see any sigh of trouble.
Terry

These are almost too hard to believe, but I don't want to sound the skeptic. These turtles could be world records! Really, I've only heard of res's living up to 25 years or so.

The conditions, however, sound imprisoning, the 'external heater' a no, no, and the lack of an internal heater a must 'if you wish to keep it inside. You can always turn this heater off in the winter.

Nonetheless, 'DON'T HIBERNATE IT WITHOUT AERATION, WATER CONSIDERABLY DEEP ENOUGH; MAKE SURE IT HAS SOME MUCK OR DEPBRIS AT THE BOTTOM; AND MAKE SURE IT'S NOT INSIDE! A TURTLE WON'T HIBERNATE WHEN INSIDE, BUT JUST WASTE AWAY.

This much I've heard. You might want to cosider seriously giving these turtles the best. As for the white shell, it could just be its scutes or the illness 'shell rot.' This is usually the resort of poor water and living conditions.

Anyway you can post pictures of these?