research project - please respond

JB.turtle · Jul 30, 2020

My name is Julia, I am a student at Marryatville High School. As part of our curriculum we must conduct a research project on a topic of our choice. My chosen topic is “How to ethically care for your Short-Neck Freshwater Turtle”.

If you have time please answer the questions below.

Q1. What are some methods you employ that ensure your turtles mental health is maintained?
Q2. Do your turtles enjoy interaction?
Q3. What are some things that surprised you when you got your turtle?
Q4. Do you notice any changes in you turtle if they are not properly stimulated i.e. exercise or play?
Q5. Why did you decide to get a turtle?

Thank you.

crimson_lotus · Jul 30, 2020

JB.turtle said:
Q1. What are some methods you employ that ensure your turtles mental health is maintained?
Q2. Do your turtles enjoy interaction?
Q3. What are some things that surprised you when you got your turtle?
Q4. Do you notice any changes in you turtle if they are not properly stimulated i.e. exercise or play?
Q5. Why did you decide to get a turtle?

Q1: naturalistic tank that suits his size, hide, basking spot, and he is the only turtle in his tank

Q2. I get the feeling he just wants food so he gets really excited and follows everyone around the tank when we approach. When we pick him up or try to pet him he usually just attacks us.

Q3. he has such a small head! it's funny looking. I didn't know anything about water turtles then, so I was really surprised how hardy they are and how much damage they could sustain and still keep fighting. he was pretty damaged.

Q4. he is a lot more outgoing now from when I first got him. He used to have a tank-mate that was an African side neck (different continent, susceptible to disease), twice his size, and you can tell it was being aggressive towards him. I think he was very stressed. He also had about 1 inch of water in his tank at the pet store when he is a strong swimmer that should have been fully submerged in water.
Now he happily swims up to me, tries to bite and intimidate me, and even tries escaping when I pick him up. He used to be too afraid, now I guess he is too bold. He also likes scavenging for food in the rock substrate, or finding greens I leave in his tank occasionally.

Q5. Well, both my turtle and tortoise were in bad shape when I ran into them, and they were both given to me for free due to their sickness and/or damage. I thought the water turtle was going to die, as he had burns on his shell, parasites, pus filled wounds, and he was vomiting blood. I stood in front of him at the pet store for a while before deciding to take him home. I was on a break at work so my co-workers were surprised I brought a turtle to the office. felt like if I didn't do anything, they would die.

ps my water turtle is a map turtle and his name is Tama. He is fully grown and only 4 inches!

crimson_lotus · Jul 30, 2020

this thread might also be better under general discussion or turtles, which is probably why you haven't gotten many hits!

JB.turtle · Aug 2, 2020

crimson_lotus said:
Q1: naturalistic tank that suits his size, hide, basking spot, and he is the only turtle in his tank

Q2. I get the feeling he just wants food so he gets really excited and follows everyone around the tank when we approach. When we pick him up or try to pet him he usually just attacks us.

Q3. he has such a small head! it's funny looking. I didn't know anything about water turtles then, so I was really surprised how hardy they are and how much damage they could sustain and still keep fighting. he was pretty damaged.

Q4. he is a lot more outgoing now from when I first got him. He used to have a tank-mate that was an African side neck (different continent, susceptible to disease), twice his size, and you can tell it was being aggressive towards him. I think he was very stressed. He also had about 1 inch of water in his tank at the pet store when he is a strong swimmer that should have been fully submerged in water.
Now he happily swims up to me, tries to bite and intimidate me, and even tries escaping when I pick him up. He used to be too afraid, now I guess he is too bold. He also likes scavenging for food in the rock substrate, or finding greens I leave in his tank occasionally.

Q5. Well, both my turtle and tortoise were in bad shape when I ran into them, and they were both given to me for free due to their sickness and/or damage. I thought the water turtle was going to die, as he had burns on his shell, parasites, pus filled wounds, and he was vomiting blood. I stood in front of him at the pet store for a while before deciding to take him home. I was on a break at work so my co-workers were surprised I brought a turtle to the office. felt like if I didn't do anything, they would die.

ps my water turtle is a map turtle and his name is Tama. He is fully grown and only 4 inches!

Thank you so much, helped heaps.

JB.turtle · Aug 2, 2020

crimson_lotus said:
this thread might also be better under general discussion or turtles, which is probably why you haven't gotten many hits!

Ok, thankyou. I'll post it there.

Toddrickfl1 · Aug 2, 2020

JB.turtle said:
My name is Julia, I am a student at Marryatville High School. As part of our curriculum we must conduct a research project on a topic of our choice. My chosen topic is “How to ethically care for your Short-Neck Freshwater Turtle”.

If you have time please answer the questions below.

Q1. What are some methods you employ that ensure your turtles mental health is maintained?
Q2. Do your turtles enjoy interaction?
Q3. What are some things that surprised you when you got your turtle?
Q4. Do you notice any changes in you turtle if they are not properly stimulated i.e. exercise or play?
Q5. Why did you decide to get a turtle?

Thank you.

1 I try to make my enclosures as naturalistic as possible. Lots of live plants, and multiple basking areas.

2 I wouldn't say my turtles enjoy interaction, they just enjoy being fed. They swim over toward me eagerly when they see me but it's only because I'm the "Food Guy"

3 How fast they can grow

4 They definitely seem to be happier when they have adequate space.

5 I've just always been fascinated with them since I was a kid.

research project - please respond

JB.turtle

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crimson_lotus

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crimson_lotus

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JB.turtle

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JB.turtle

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Toddrickfl1

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