Please Help!! (water turtle info needed)

[HP_]

Hi all,

Could somebody please help identify this tortoise perhaps be able to determine the age as well.
Appreciate your help.

Thanks
Hari

 

[Yvonne G]

It's a water turtle. Probably a dumped red ear slider. They get too big for the little aquarium they're being kept in and people just toss them out. Looks full grown.

 

[TechnoCheese]

It's a water turtle. Probably a dumped red ear slider. They get too big for the little aquarium they're being kept in and people just toss them out. Looks full grown.

Could it be wild?

 

[Yvonne G]

RES aren't native to South Africa. . . of course, I could be wrong about the species, but I'm not wrong it's a water turtle.

 

[TechnoCheese]

RES aren't native to South Africa. . . of course, I could be wrong about the species, but I'm not wrong it's a water turtle.

Ah, didn’t know it was South Africa. That makes sense.

 

[HP_]

It's a water turtle. Probably a dumped red ear slider. They get too big for the little aquarium they're being kept in and people just toss them out. Looks full grown.

Thank you for that info, I have enquired with @CarolM as well, regarding the species. I'm really wondering where I could find more information on their habitats etc. This is in South Africa.

Also what type of food do they feed on. If its a Turtle, mean he would prefer the water. Currently he tends to dig himself into the ground all the time and when it rains he's out and about.

Appreciate any detail I can get.

 

[HP_]

I did a quick follow up based on your responses and checked this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_helmeted_turtle

 

[CarolM]

Hi Hari
Yvonne knows her stuff. I unfortunately would not have been able to help now that I can see the picture.
If you look under Tortoise species on the forum. You will find a section called turtles. You should find lots of info under the water turtle section. It is better to get your information from here than on the net as you will get more up to date information and help from the members here.
I hope all goes well.

 

[Emily Contreras]

Hi all,

Could somebody please help identify this tortoise perhaps be able to determine the age as well.
Appreciate your help.

Thanks
Hari

View attachment 255593

It doesn't look alot like a red eared slider. I have an adult slider but they usually have like a weird lil pattern on their shells.

 

[Emily Contreras]

Im pretty positive its a dumped pet. (Unless of course you live very closely to a stream. its very unlikely a turtle would come out of the water just to walk around.)

 

[mark1]

I'd guess it's some type of African mud turtle

 

[Markw84]

@HP_ That is a native turtle to your area. It is commonly called the African Helmeted Turtle - Pelomedusa subrufa. They are quite common.