NEW 3 stripes mud turtle baby

[Yelloweyed]

Long store: So apparently I was a little to enthusiastic about an adorable baby turtle in a local reptile store. I even went back with my son to show him the turtle. The owner said that both babies had died. So sad! Anyways, as we walked around the store, the owner dig around the display tank and found a baby. He put it in my hand and said, "It's yours." OMG I was jumping around in the store. I knew that I couldn't buy it because it was too small and the owner even reminded me of the law.
So off we went home to situate the little guy/girl/whatever.

Temporary setup


20 gallon tank
~4 inches of water with sand substrate, tons of live floating plants, mopani wood, cholla wood and river driftwood, HOB filter with intake covered, and heater set to 78F
- Baby guppies, tiny pond snails and ghost shrimp
- only thing I had to purchase was a heater


Any suggested changes or tips?

 

[wellington]

I can't help ya except to send an alert to
@Anthony P who might be able to help.
Boy is it ever tiny and so cute. Good luck

 

[Anthony P]

Thanks @wellington!

This turtle actually has some nice growth on it! I would guess that this guy is around 10 grams maybe, which would make it as much as 3 times the size of a fresh hatchling. Anyway, it should do very well.

In my opinion, Kinosternon baurii are one of the absolute best candidates to be kept as a pet turtle. I bred them for several years.

Your setup looks great. All of that vegetation will help the small turtle feel comfortable, and this species does bask, so good job with the basking area. I think you will be a very happy turtle owner with this guy

 

[Yelloweyed]

'Squirtle' (kids named it after a Pokémon) hasn't been weighed or measured yet. I'll post them soon.

Thanks! I tried to copy BauriBob's YouTube videos. I know he's on TheTurtleforum as MuddyBob.

 

[cdmay]

'Squirtle' (kids named it after a Pokémon) hasn't been weighed or measured yet. I'll post them soon.

Thanks! I tried to copy BauriBob's YouTube videos. I know he's on TheTurtleforum as MuddyBob.

The BauriBob videos on YouTube are excellent and Bob seems to be a very thoughtful and good turtle keeper. I used to watch his videos repeatedly and I learned something from them each time.

 

[Yelloweyed]

Finally weighed and measured Squirtle today.

Weight 6 grams
SCL 30 mm



Any suggestions diet-wise to fatten him up?

 

[Anthony P]

6 grams, that's huge!

I'd say once you get the little guy on pellets, you are out of the woods. You can then supplement with all kinds of lean protein and a variety of pellets, but keep pellets as the staple.

 

[Yelloweyed]

Ok. Thanks. Squirtle's age is unknown but s/he's at least 2 months old.

Eats different pellets, earthworms, bloodworms, and baby guppies.