Painted Turtle with No Front Legs..

[Skunkworks]

Things are getting Really Weird in my Life.Anyway today my daughter went to the river and found this turtle at the shoreline struggling and when she went to pick it up it had no legs in front only rear legs. The Front Legs look like it may have been born that way or it's wounds have completely healed. She brought it Home for me to care for it. Will it survive in the Wild it seems to have done that so far or do I Rescue it. This is weird indeed.

 

[Skunkworks]

No Fronts

 

[wellington]

Normally wild needs to stay in the wild. However, this turtle will not last long in the wild with no front legs.

 

[Skunkworks]

Wellington, what should I do? I'm willing to give it a Good life without the worry of Predators and under my circumstances I feel I need to . I would need to learn aquatic Turtle care ASAP.

 

[Skunkworks]

Plus is there Any chance of Nala getting Sick from me Handelindg the turtle.

 

[wellington]

There is always a risk of transferring from one tort to another or even turtles so just wash your hands with soap and water before touching the other.
You will need an aquarium or one of the turtle tubs like pictured, filter, heater not glass and tube florescent uvb light and basking bulb(flood bulb).
Maybe @Yvonne G or @Markw84 or @Maggie3fan can help further with his much actual water for one missing legs. Also temps and diet.

 

[Skunkworks]

There is always a risk of transferring from one tort to another or even turtles so just wash your hands with soap and water before touching the other.
You will need an aquarium or one of the turtle tubs like pictured, filter, heater not glass and tube florescent uvb light and basking bulb(flood bulb).
Maybe @Yvonne G or @Markw84 or @Maggie3fan can help further with his much actual water for one missing legs. Also temps and diet.

Ok ,Sounds good, I have everything you mentioned, I'm using Nala's Bathing tub for now, I have a 2ft x 6ft enclosure I can modify if that's big enough.Thanks again Wellington.

 

[zovick]

Things are getting Really Weird in my Life.Anyway today my daughter went to the river and found this turtle at the shoreline struggling and when she went to pick it up it had no legs in front only rear legs. The Front Legs look like it may have been born that way or it's wounds have completely healed. She brought it Home for me to care for it. Will it survive in the Wild it seems to have done that so far or do I Rescue it. This is weird indeed.

It is amazing what these chelonians can endure and still survive.

It is possible that the turtle's legs were chewed off by a predator such as a raccoon, a coyote, or even a Snapping Turtle. I have found Wood Turtles and Box Turtles which were surviving in the wild with just stumps where legs had been. The worst case I have seen was a large adult female Wood Turtle with 4 well-healed stumps. She had only half or less of each leg! Even so, she was actively walking about in a cow pasture looking in water-filled cow footprints for worms and slugs to eat.

Another time, I found a Bog Turtle which had apparently been stepped on by a horse or a cow. The carapace was split almost entirely in half from the front to the back right next to the spine. There was an open crack 1/4" wide all the way along the split and the open space had been filled in by new skin, effectively sealing up the inside of the turtle. When it breathed, the skin rose and fell with each breath.

Good luck with your new Painted Turtle! I am sure it will do fine in your care.

 

[Skunkworks]

It is amazing what these chelonians can endure and still survive.

It is possible that the turtle's legs were chewed off by a predator such as a raccoon, a coyote, or even a Snapping Turtle. I have found Wood Turtles and Box Turtles which were surviving in the wild with just stumps where legs had been. The worst case I have seen was a large adult female Wood Turtle with 4 well-healed stumps. She had only half or less of each leg! Even so, she was actively walking about in a cow pasture looking in water-filled cow footprints for worms and slugs to eat.

Another time, I found a Bog Turtle which had apparently been stepped on by a horse or a cow. The carapace was split almost entirely in half from the front to the back right next to the spine. There was an open crack 1/4" wide all the way along the split and the open space had been filled in by new skin, effectively sealing up the inside of the turtle. When it breathed, the skin rose and fell with each breath.

Good luck with your new Painted Turtle! I am sure it will do fine in your care.

Thanks Zovick, I'm sure it will be a piece of Cake compared to caring for Nala. Take Care.

 

[Skunkworks]

Hopefully someone with Aquatic Turtle experience will chime in to tell me what they would do in my situation, and Perhaps the Best Possible Layout for a Tuttle with his Condition.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hopefully someone with Aquatic Turtle experience will chime in to tell me what they would do in my situation, and Perhaps the Best Possible Layout for a Tuttle with his Condition.

He can only eat under the water...can he swim?

 

[Skunkworks]

Hello Maggie, I should know more today as im going to get it a large tub today and set it up with a filter and monitor it to see how I need to adjust things for it's needs. Thanks for replying Maggie.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I keep a Midland Painted...but I have had blind box turtles and a couple of tortoises. With your guy....you need to see if he can swim, then haul out for basking. If he can swim and get out that's the most of it....

 

[Skunkworks]

I keep a Midland Painted...but I have had blind box turtles and a couple of tortoises. With your guy....you need to see if he can swim, then haul out for basking. If he can swim and get out that's the most of it....

Hello Maggie , He swims with the rear legs. I think he's just Under developed because his right front leg looks like a worm.. no bone structure only skin left is just a nub.I took a video , I will try to upload it for you.

 

[SinLA]

Awww, you have a little T-Rex. Thanks for caring for it...

 

[SafariWoman]

Ok ,Sounds good, I have everything you mentioned, I'm using Nala's Bathing tub for now, I have a 2ft x 6ft enclosure I can modify if that's big enough.Thanks again Wellington.

 

[Moozillion]

WOW! What a wonderful thing you’re doing!❤️

I have a Mississippi mud turtle who lost her right front foot to a predator as a tiny hatchling.
Mud turtles are not great swimmers in the first place, and without that foot she really can’t swim at all. I keep her in an aquarium with water level that’s never more than 3.5 inches deep. That way she can simply stand in the bottom and lift her head up out of the water to breathe.

I’m really impressed with how well your guy swims! Of course, they’re different species and yours is naturally a better swimmer anyway.

I’ve only ever kept mud and musk turtles, so I have no particular care advice to share.🤷🏼‍♀️

But I still wanted to chime in and applaud your kindness and your efforts on this turtle’s behalf!!!
Major karma points!!! 😃👍❤️

 

[Skunkworks]

WOW! What a wonderful thing you’re doing!❤️

I have a Mississippi mud turtle who lost her right front foot to a predator as a tiny hatchling.
Mud turtles are not great swimmers in the first place, and without that foot she really can’t swim at all. I keep her in an aquarium with water level that’s never more than 3.5 inches deep. That way she can simply stand in the bottom and lift her head up out of the water to breathe.

I’m really impressed with how well your guy swims! Of course, they’re different species and yours is naturally a better swimmer anyway.

I’ve only ever kept mud and musk turtles, so I have no particular care advice to share.🤷🏼‍♀️

But I still wanted to chime in and applaud your kindness and your efforts on this turtle’s behalf!!!
Major karma points!!!

Thank you. I'm sure many of us here would have done the same..God Bless.

 

[Skunkworks]

Turtle is Enjoying his new Home.

 

[TammyJ]

That's just awesome.