Species identification please

Gattu N'Coco

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A friend of mine got this lil cute turty, I don't know anything about it, can you guys please help me with it's species, caresheet etc, Also it's swimming TILTED towards it's left side, does it mean overfeeding? View attachment 275677IMG_20190630_122754.jpeg
 

Michael231

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Hello @Gattu N'Coco

That looks to be an Indian roofed turtle, found from Pakistan to Bangladesh in most major river systems (i.e. the Indus and Ganges, and tributaries).

I am newer to using the forum regarding caresheets, so I'm not sure where to direct you. To be perfectly honest, I don't know if the tortoise forum has any caresheets for this specific species. Maybe @Tom could help out with this!

As for basic care (I definitely recommend researching this animal and using the tortoise forum caresheet, if it is provided) these are semi-aquatic turtles. This means they mostly live in freshwater and occasionally come out to bask to warm up and shed ectoparasites. You can successfully keep one of these in a 40-60 gallon aquarium in my experience. Of course, the larger the aquarium the better. Generally I don't even suggest using a glass aquarium, as it can stress the animal out. If you have access to a pond or a large stock tank or cattle trough, these are even better!

The above of course is for when the animal is full grown or nearly there, since it is still young, I suggest using a 10ish gallon container or a hatchling WATERLAND tub.

Get creative with substrate! In my experience 1" smooth gravel or playground sand work the best for most Geoemydid (the family your turtle is in) and Emydid turtles. Put lots of large pieces of wood in the tank, and if you can position one so it sticks out of the water slightly (make sure the turtle can't climb out of its home though) to provide a basking area where the turtle can sun itself. I use large pieces of wood for my roofed turtles, as it also acts for a place for good bacteria that help clean the tank of waste to live!

I recommend using a filter (the type will vary depending on what type of tank you use). Do some research on filters. I personally like external canister filters and moving bed filters. For lighting, provide a UVB light, which will help synthesize vitamin D3 and allow for proper calcium adsorption by the body. Also provide a ceramic heat lamp or a halogen (I usually use 75-100 watts depending on my tank and animal). Of course, if your turtle is outside, no need for these lamps.

One last thing, since your turtle is still very small, I suggest keeping it indoors and rearing it up until it is at least 5-6" in length if you plan on putting it into a pond.

I have some experience keeping adult specimens of this species, and they can be quite rewarding!
 

Yvonne G

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Sometimes when they swim at an angle it means they have pneumonia.
 

Yvonne G

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Sometimes when they swim at an angle it means they have pnuemonia.
 

Michael231

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Ohhhh man, what do I do about it?

It is best to take the animal to a herp vet, as pneumonia can be quite serious, and very tricky to rid in a young animal.

Likely, the vet will refuse to administer antibiotics since the turtle is still quite small. Generally, antibiotics are used (that is for bacterial pneumonia). For viral pneumonia there is not much that can be done, but consult a vet.

For now, maybe post a video of your animal swimming to the forum? That way we can all see what’s going on in action!
 

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