I need help identifying baby turtles!

[Ashleyscianna]

Hello! My boyfriend's grandpa has a large pond on his property, and recently, the turtles living there have been hatching babies like crazy!

I have a 5' X 12' outdoor turtle enclosure with a 4' X 4' pond in the middle. My turtles are both ornate wood turtles. They are very submissive and sweet. However, they are very lonely in this new enclosure I've built them. I thought I could add some (1 or 2) of these baby turtles to my enclosure to give them some more friends to stay entertained with, but I was worried that these babies would grow up to be aggressive or territorial. If anyone has any info on them and would be able to tell me if they would be suitable tank mates then that would be awesome! My poor turtles have just recovered from some serious infections (thanks shady pet store), so I treated them to this luxurious new enclosure, but it's just a bit too big for the two of them!

Also, I realize that these babies would need the same indoor care that any baby turtle would need before it could live independently of me and outside in the pond. I just don't feel like raising new turtles only to find out that they can't live in harmony with my existing turtles because of any aggression.

Thanks so much in advance! Hopefully they are not too little to identify!

 

[dmmj]

they definitely look like a slider of some type but the picture is far far too small for me to identify. As for company your turtles do not want or need any type of company they're not lonely. Turtles just don't get lonely. Best to leave them alone in my opinion.

 

[Gillian M]

Hello! My boyfriend's grandpa has a large pond on his property, and recently, the turtles living there have been hatching babies like crazy!

I have a 5' X 12' outdoor turtle enclosure with a 4' X 4' pond in the middle. My turtles are both ornate wood turtles. They are very submissive and sweet. However, they are very lonely in this new enclosure I've built them. I thought I could add some (1 or 2) of these baby turtles to my enclosure to give them some more friends to stay entertained with, but I was worried that these babies would grow up to be aggressive or territorial. If anyone has any info on them and would be able to tell me if they would be suitable tank mates then that would be awesome! My poor turtles have just recovered from some serious infections (thanks shady pet store), so I treated them to this luxurious new enclosure, but it's just a bit too big for the two of them!

Also, I realize that these babies would need the same indoor care that any baby turtle would need before it could live independently of me and outside in the pond. I just don't feel like raising new turtles only to find out that they can't live in harmony with my existing turtles because of any aggression.

Thanks so much in advance! Hopefully they are not too little to identify!

A very warm welcome to the forum.

V sorry, can't help with species. Hope someone else will.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Best to leave them be.
As has been said, they don't get lonely, and there is always a risk of infection or bullying.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ashley:

You're putting human emotions onto your turtles. They are definitely NOT lonely. I can't tell what kind of turtles the hatchlings are, but if they are red ear sliders, those are pretty aggressive turtles. They would not play nice with your wood turtles.

 

[Markw84]

Ashley

If you could post a closeup of the shell - top and bottom and the markings on the neck, I could tell you the type of turtle. It is definitely some type of slider or possibly cooter, but from your picture I can't be certain.

Turtles do enjoy living in groups and usually do much better that way, while most tortoises prefer their own territory. A male slider gets pretty aggressive with other sliders once they mature, but would probably leave your other turtles alone. Cooters, are great community pond turtles, never showing aggression. Both get pretty large though. You also would need to be sure your little pond is deep enough for them. Your ornate wood turtles are semi-aquatic and enjoy land time as much as water. A slider or cooter rarely leaves the water except to bask and are strong swimmers. They prefer deeper water.

 

[Ashleyscianna]

Thanks to everyone. Adding these babies was only a possible option. I'm really more interested in knowing what kinds of turtles these are. I have no other picture of them but I'd love to show you guys better pictures if I get a chance soon. Thanks anyways.

My pond in the enclosure is 4' X 4' and about a foot deep with plenty of shelves under water for hiding. I have yet to add live plants or logs for baskig as I have not completed the pond set up. I wanted to add a filter first. I currently have a small fountain running to keep the water oxygen levels normal. I planned on adding duckweed, Java moss, and Java ferns since I have all three on hand in my fish tanks and they are completely safe for my wood turtles.

While my turtles may not have human emotion, I previously had three before a rare fungal infection took one of my females and seriously infected my male and other female. I've been administering shots, applying creams, and giving oral based meds to my turtles for months. Just weeks before I finally finished my outdoor enclosure, my vet cleared my two remaining turtles. All three traveled like a pack and were quite social before, even during their sickest hours. However, with the passing of my female, my other two seem more timid and shy. While you choose not to think my turtles can feel our same emotions, I have been up close and personal with these poor turtles every day twice a day with meds for months, and I know that they are lost and afraid. They need new faces to finally get over this awful spell they have suffered.

This fungus has yet to be seen in turtles until this year, and thankfully, with the help of my vet and her source at the San Franciso Zoo, who is the first and only other vet to clear a turtle for this fungus, I have happy turtles! Thanks to the awful local pet store, which buys and sells malnourished and mistreated turtles without my knowing, I have obtained sick turtles that have cost me thousands in vet bills. While I know they might not emotionally feel lonely, I want them to have a social and fun rest of their long lives.

If these babies are not compatible with my turtles, I do plan on finding an alternative turtle that will live in harmony with my two wood turtles. A 5' by 12' enclosure is more than enough room for a single male and a single female wood turtle. Adding one or two fully aquatic or semi-aquatic turtles would really fill up the space nicely and I know it will keep my two turtles occupied all day. Regardless, thank you all for your help. If it helps you rest easy, I will include an image or my (almost) complete enclosure. I need to finish the pond as said above, attach my heating system for inside that I just purchased, and add a slanted roof over the indoor 3' X 5' portion. Again, thank you to all, even though I disagree on the fact that my turtles have emotion.

 

[AJK Aquaria]

I think the best option for you would be some additional ornate woods. Obtaining healthy stock, and following a quarantine period will minimize a risk of introducing disease. Enclosure looks really nice. Great job.

 

[dmmj]

I think the best option for you would be some additional ornate woods. Obtaining healthy stock, and following a quarantine period will minimize a risk of introducing disease. Enclosure looks really nice. Great job.

I wholeheartedly endorse this option