Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi, ive never had a turtle before although ive had just about everything else under the sun, and im bit unsure as to what do with this guy. see i was wandering around near my dads office and i ended up by a nearby creek where low and behold i find a softshell turtle sitting in the mud. i recognised what he was and figured that i should get him out of there if i could because the water was not even close to clean. he let me pick him up which suprised me and i got him home in bucket of water. when i got him home i set him up in a large tub of water and put a layer of sand on the bottum for him to hide in, with some feeder fish to eat. i then set about trying to find out what type of softie he was so i could take care of him, but i cant find any specific info and very few pictures. ive narrowed it down to a spiny softshell but he doesnt look exactly like any of the pictures ive found, plus he has no spots on his shell at all. im fairly sure hes a male, my mom has a pair of turtles so i know that much, but id like to know more specifics. i added a filter and a heater and ive got the temperature around 80 degrees. he didnt eat for the first few weeks and i was geting worried so i bought some small fish and some gost shrimp and a crayfish, which he immidiatly tore apart and left legs strewn about the tank. since then hes been eating fine although he has a lovely habit of biting the fishes heads of and leaving them lying around the tank. he seems to be doing ok but what realy concerns me is that he seems to have a fungal infection of some sort. there are small spots on his shell that look eaten away. i read that lack of uv could cause problems so every day he goes into a different tub in the backyard. sorry for rambeling on for so long but i realy dont want to screw up with this guy, ive gotten attached to him hes a sweety and hasnt bitten me once. please reply or give me a link, thanks very much.

i forgot to mention this but im in the bay area and i dont think we have native softies around here and hes about 5 or six inches across the length of his shell.

The best site I've found to check for pictures is www.enature.com. I strongly suggest getting that problem with his shell checked out by a vet. Once you determin what type he is you should be able to find a caresheet at www.chelonia.org

I too am a first time owner of a soft-shelled turtle. I went through sand, gravel and pumps after pumps. I have found that softies are not the easiest turtles. Mine will only eat fishes and mealworms. I've tried different pellets but she refuses them and they end up making her home murky.My best suggestion is to find a local vet that specializes in reptiles.That's how I got great info on my softie. Everyone has their advice which can help but it's always better to seek the advice of a person who has a full spectrum of knowledge in these creatures.I too am from the Bay Area and have tried to find out as much as I could over the internet.I'd like to see how it turns out with your little one. Good Luck