hi im new and need advice

[tracy]

hi all im tracy, my partner arrived home last night with what we now believe to be a red eared slider which he found at work beside a stream covered in dry mud. im not quite sure what to do with it. we have had it to a vet and he wasnt sure whether it was a turtle or tortoise but said it looked reasonably healthy and that was about as much info as he could give me. we do have a garden pond 6ftx4ft and about 2 1/2ft deep containing a few fish and i was wondering whether this would work as its new home. i would be very grateful for any advice on what to do with it and how to look after in the short/long term thanks

[wayne020668]

hi Tracy, welcome to our ever growing family here, yes the pond would do as its new home providing the terrapin / turtle could not escape and you will need to ensure you offer it foods that the fish wont take although it might not take foods just yet as they need heat and UV to achieve this, if you send me a couple of pics i will identify it for you...

regards Wayne.

[tracy]

would it be ok to put it out as soon as possible as its in a bowl of shallow water at moment? what kind of food should i offer it for now and what type of food should get it for future? does it need heat or equipment for a pond or will it beable to live in the filtered pond as it is year round? how do i send photos because im new to forums as well as turtles!!!:-)

[turtlegirl]

Well done for rescuing this poor homeless turtle that could otherwise have died from cold and hunger AND for seeking correct advice on care from Turtle Rescue. I know how you feel because I became an unplanned parent of 3 abandoned turtles two years ago. Now I have 20 happy healthy adopted turtles. Just follow Wayne's advice as I did , he's used to guiding anxious new owners
would it be ok to put it out as soon as possible Best not to as it is still mid winter with more freezing weather predicted this weekend. Basically you should either let your turtle cool down and hibernate naturally in autumn or keep it warm (above 20;C) awake and feeding all winter. Do NOT let it enter the Death Zone 10-15 degrees where it will be too cold To eat and too warm to hibernate. Looks like yours may be a recently abandoned or escaped former pet as it is still awake.

HOUSING- As Wayne said, the pond sounds ideal for May-Oct. depending on its size and health it ma even be able to hibernate in the pond next winter. s a short term measure a large plastic crate or water tank makes a great cheap turtle home for under £20 No need to splash out on an expensive large tank, though bargain used tanks can be had on Ebay, Preloved, Gumtree etc.

HEAT - Unless your place is very warm with room temp above 20' turtle tank will need a 150 - 200W electric aquarium heater depending on tank size, the kind used for fish tanks. You can get these from petshops or cheaper on Ebay. Meanwhile put big plastic bottle filled with hot water in tank at night and cover tank with duvet to keep turtle warm

FOOD - For now you can feed it raw prawns with shells on, mussels, fish, cooked chicken, unsalted ham, lettuce , chopped fruit and dandelion leaves. Once Wayne has identified the species (email him photos) he can send you the correct food. Turtle Rescue sellgreat value turtle food for all species and ages. Highly recommended, feed all mine on it

[tracy]

thanks for the advice... i'll put it in a storage crate in my utility room for now its nice and warm in there...it hasnt done much since we found it then ive gone in today and its rearing to go...wayne, ive sent some photos to your email for help with ID thanks