Found on City Streets- Trying to identify and care for the night

Josh

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You found a slider turtle! You can give him enough water to swim in and a place to climb out of the water. he'll also want a heat lamp basking area on dry land. he might eat pellets but more likely an earthworm or similar
 

eliseandboris

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Thanks Josh! I'm somewhat familiar with tortoise stuff, but I'm so worried b/c he was out in a heatwave :( Ya know how sometimes giving too much of a needed thing ( food or water ) can make a sick animal worse. I'm just worried I'll mess him up overnight because he doesn't seem to be in good shape.
 

Tom

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I agree with Josh. You can use a cinder block for the basking area and bring the water level up close to level with it. You can do this outside so the tortoise can warm up in the sun, but be careful to always have shade available so the turtle doesn't over heat. Check the water temperature to make sure you aren't making turtle soup. It should be dark at night, and its fine if it cools at night.

This type of turtle has to be in the water to eat, so it isn't going to eat in your dry tub there.
 

eliseandboris

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I agree with Josh. You can use a cinder block for the basking area and bring the water level up close to level with it. You can do this outside so the tortoise can warm up in the sun, but be careful to always have shade available so the turtle doesn't over heat. Check the water temperature to make sure you aren't making turtle soup. It should be dark at night, and its fine if it cools at night.

This type of turtle has to be in the water to eat, so it isn't going to eat in your dry tub there.
Great! Thanks. It's almost 1 am where I am. I didn't want to go to bed the wrong way.
 

eliseandboris

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Update: Little thing was taken in by a wildlife biologist even though it's not native. It is a cooter of some sort, but he wasn't positive which kind when we met up.
I had a vet tell me she thought it would need critical care for a while, but once the biologist saw it, he thought it actually looked pretty healthy :)
He said he'd take him in and that he could check him out and then find an appropriate home for him. I got so lucky this guy took him in. After reading about cooters, I see they need a big pond-like habitat when they grow up. Good to know this guy will find the proper place for him to live ❤️ Thanks all for your help!
 

Shuiswei

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Jul 1, 2024
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GA
Update: Little thing was taken in by a wildlife biologist even though it's not native. It is a cooter of some sort, but he wasn't positive which kind when we met up.
I had a vet tell me she thought it would need critical care for a while, but once the biologist saw it, he thought it actually looked pretty healthy :)
He said he'd take him in and that he could check him out and then find an appropriate home for him. I got so lucky this guy took him in. After reading about cooters, I see they need a big pond-like habitat when they grow up. Good to know this guy will find the proper place for him to live ❤️ Thanks all for your help!
Thank you for doing such a great thing for him/her!
 

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