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The things we've read suggest starting with fish flakes. Apparently they don't need to eat until the egg sac is gone, and I don't think his is gone yet. Once he is entirely out of the shell (which he is not as yet) and moving around in his enclosure, then he will need food. He will also need water and a place to lay and dry, like a flat rock.
I'm sure once he is eating solid food they should be able to use turtle pellets from the pet store. After all, they do sell these little guys, or they used to anyway.
When we were kids we had every critter that crept or crawled in the woods to the river bank in our back yard. You cannot feed a critter you don't name, silly!
Quote:
Originally Posted by puginabug
The things we've read suggest starting with fish flakes. Apparently they don't need to eat until the egg sac is gone, and I don't think his is gone yet. Once he is entirely out of the shell (which he is not as yet) and moving around in his enclosure, then he will need food. He will also need water and a place to lay and dry, like a flat rock.
I'm sure once he is eating solid food they should be able to use turtle pellets from the pet store. After all, they do sell these little guys, or they used to anyway.
My mom was a docent for the Tucson zoo, and raised a baby desert tortoise from the size of a quarter to about the size of a (deflated) football. The zoo staff were very precise in their instructions of his living quarters, food, etc. Obviously the painted turtles are different from the desert tortoises, but I think one thing I recall specifically is that while he could eat the pellets, he needed fresh fruits and veggies -- particularly lettuces -- organic, preferred. Housing should be on a material that can be easily cleaned -- she used the pellets that they put in the bottom of bunny nests. Fresh water twice a day.
You may want to introduce Simon to his native lands sooner than later.
Well, he's totally out of his shell, as of yesterday. He walks around his little enclosure. Still has a bit of yolk sac on his belly, or he did yesterday. He's pretty cute.
How wonderful that you have saved this little turtle from the raccoon! Thank you!
The turtle needs to be released, in the morning, within 2 feet of the water at the nearest body of water to where the egg was.
There is a long and complicated list of why the turtle has to be released. It's needs cannot be met in captivity.
You can name the turtle, release it and always go to that water and hope to see him/her.
Pellets are not adequate....neither is any enclosure that you can provide.
What a terrific and rare photo you posted! I will save it!
~roosty~
How wonderful that you have saved this little turtle from the raccoon! Thank you!
The turtle needs to be released, in the morning, within 2 feet of the water at the nearest body of water to where the egg was.
There is a long and complicated list of why the turtle has to be released. It's needs cannot be met in captivity.
You can name the turtle, release it and always go to that water and hope to see him/her.
Pellets are not adequate....neither is any enclosure that you can provide.
What a terrific and rare photo you posted! I will save it!
~roosty~
Awww, thanks Rain! It's actually not mine to release or not release, nor can I take any credit for saving it. My son and his girl saw the mother laying the eggs, and the raccoon subsequently digging them up. They are the ones who "rescued" it.
While I may agree with you, my son is an adult (as is his gf), and so all I can do is "preach". Which I will continue to do.
(On that subject, at some point I will have to tell you all the story of "Mothra" the gorgeous, huge brown moth my daughter captured when she was around 4 years old.)
Anyway, baby turtle seems to be doing well, it's yolk sac is nearly gone. It is still in a small disposable tin baking pan, high enough on the sides to keep him from getting out, with water in a tupperware cover.
My son came and mowed our lawn today. He found two dead birds in the back yard! Close to each other, no apparent injuries. A blue jay and a sparrow. I guess I'm not sure who to call about it, but I will google that and call in the morning. There's west nile all over the place here.
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