Blanding's turtle..thoughts needed asap

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ArkansasKelly

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Hey guys,

I have a fella that is wanting me to take in his Blandings turtle. I am not setup for water turtles even if they are semi aquatic. Is there a quick setup I could do to keep it over the winter and then adopt it out in spring, or should I tell him no?

Thanks guys,

ARKelly
 

Yvonne G

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ArkansasKelly said:
Hey guys,

I have a fella that is wanting me to take in his Blandings turtle. I am not setup for water turtles even if they are semi aquatic. Is there a quick setup I could do to keep it over the winter and then adopt it out in spring, or should I tell him no?

Thanks guys,

ARKelly

You can set it up in a large plastic tub with some sort of dock with a clamp light over the dock. As long as the water is in the 70's the turtle will be ok with the light on the dock so he can bask and warm up. If you can't keep the water in the 70's you'll need to add a water heater, and that might melt the plastic if it touches. I don't know about Blandings, but this is generic water turtle info.

Yvonne
 

jpeck425

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ArkansasKelly said:
Hey guys,

I have a fella that is wanting me to take in his Blandings turtle. I am not setup for water turtles even if they are semi aquatic. Is there a quick setup I could do to keep it over the winter and then adopt it out in spring, or should I tell him no?

Thanks guys,

ARKelly

Hi ARKelly,

Blanding's are an easy turtle to keep and a temporary set-up can be made from a number of things. They habitat mostly shallower waters.

Some items that can temporarily house aquatic turtles are:
Glass Aquariums
Kid's Plastic Swimming Pools
Rubbermaid Tubs
Galvenized Stock Tanks
XL Plastic-bottomed Rabbit Cages (Many have a base that is 6-7" deep)

Blanding's will need deep enough water to fully submerse, a haul-out area or basking spot, 5% UVB lighting, approx 75-100w Basking Spot.

Optional items would be a filter, heater and artifical plants as a visual barrier. The filter is optional if you are willing to change the water regularly, the heater is optional if the water will naturally stay in the 70's(These are a very cold-hardy species and can even be found walking under the ice in winter).

Most aquatic turtles can only eat while submerged in water, otherwise they cannot swallow. Blanding's have the ability to eat on land or in water. They are carnivores and must rely on more than your standard turtle pellets. Their diet can include crayfish, feeder fish or minnows, nightcrawlers, krill, clams, shrimp, etc...

They can be quite personalble and are very attractive with their bright yellow neck. I receive them occasionally as rescues, but they are threatened and protected in my state. Habitat destruction, automobiles and racoons have taken their toll on this regal species.

Hope this helps
 

ArkansasKelly

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Thank you Jeff and Yvonne for the information. I contacted a friend of mine that does lizard and snake rescue, but also water turtle rescue from time to time. She has agreed to take the Blanding's since I cannot.

With all of the information you guys have supplied, I feel that I can, eventually, take in aquatics that really need a home until I am able to adopt them out. I will be very picky though. :)

Thanks again for the help.

ARKelly
 
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