Misti Chastain
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2017
- Messages
- 4
Don't need a heated pond for any U.S. turtle. They do better without a heater in the pond.Southern CA humane societies are flooded with female sliders but I am sure they would probably take her. If I ever win the lottery, I hope to have a large outside heated pond for these unwanted female sliders. Ah...to dream........
Don't need a heated pond for any U.S. turtle. They do better without a heater in the pond.
Go for it!!
Rubbish! Your vet is wrong. Mine are all captive bred and raised initially indoors from hatchling. Some, like my Suwanee Cooter - who is 33yrs old now - is not even technically from a part of the US where they would really brumate (hibernate). All thrive and breed in an outdoor pond that gets 40F in the winter. The problem is only if you have them where they are not brumating, and the water is cooler, they must have a way to heat their body temp up to the mid 80's. Just went outside and took this picture for you. The pond water is 60.5f right now. If I shoot their shell with a heat gun, I get 90f. It is 62F outside temp.Actually, Pogo (the RES) got pneumonia one time and a different time, he suffered a collapsed lung, because of the cold pond water (says his vet). I learned this lesson the hard way ($900 later.....). My small outside pond doesn't heat up and tends to stay around 55 Fah even on hot summer days. I felt awful over stressing him out so. Maybe because Pogo is captive bred or because he is young? My herp vet said RES should not be in water less than 65 degrees otherwise they are prone to respiratory infections. It could also be that Pogo has a weak constitution which means he fits well into my household! Except for Tucker the Tortoise, all of my pets are "special needs" animals. Anyway.....I am still hoping to win the lottery!!!!
Yes: Mark's pond is the kind of pond I dream of!!!!!Perhaps you're right. I know nothing about Cooters I just know my little RES has gotten sick so much. Last summer alone, he visit the doctor 21 times!
I am envious of your pond, in my world, you have won the lottery.
Mark,Rubbish! Your vet is wrong. Mine are all captive bred and raised initially indoors from hatchling. Some, like my Suwanee Cooter - who is 33yrs old now - is not even technically from a part of the US where they would really brumate (hibernate). All thrive and breed in an outdoor pond that gets 40F in the winter. The problem is only if you have them where they are not brumating, and the water is cooler, they must have a way to heat their body temp up to the mid 80's. Just went outside and took this picture for you. The pond water is 60.5f right now. If I shoot their shell with a heat gun, I get 90f. It is 62F outside temp.
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I don't know exactly as I try to keep the pond as natural as possible, and many of the turtles lay eggs that I do not incubate, but let hatch in place. When I find a baby in the pond, I will take it in for the first year to get size. Some I do incubate if I see where they have laid, and especially if it is a spotted turtle nest. So I have about 50-60 turtles in the pond. 11 different species. All U.S. turtles.Mark,
How many turtles do you have? Are they different species?