Question of what would cause a turtle death

[drgnfly2265]

Hello everyone. I have a question from a friend at work.

Her and her children got there first yellow ear slider. I got to see the turtle once last week. It was about a little bit bigger than a quarter. She said that they have had it for about 2 months. It was living in one of the plastic containers that people usually get for the small turtles ( the ones with the plastic palm tree in the middle). She decided to get a larger home for the turtle, so she got a 10 gallon tank. I asked and made sure that she had everything that the turtle needed, she said that she did.
Everything was fine, until Saturday. She said that the turtle would swim around like normal and also eat the same. But everytime it would go on land, it would stretch out (like normal) but would close its eyes. She said that it would only open its eyes when someone talked to it or touched it. Monday evening, her 3 year old son found it floating She said it did everything normal, but didn't want to open its eyes.

So she asked me and I said that I would ask ya'll. Do you have any answers.

She is so bummed about the turtle. Her son got so attached to it. Now she doesn't want to get another turtle or tortoise. I told her that these things do happen and to not let it stop her from getting another.

Please help!!!

__________________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)
1 Shih tzu (Suki)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jamie:

We call those little plastic bowls "death bowls."

Your friend said they got "everything they were supposed to get," but its always best to list out the "everything" part. My first guess is that they didn't have a water heater for the baby. When they go up on land and stretch out their legs its to optimize their warmth-gathering. I'll also bet she/he didn't get a light to shine over the docking area.

So, my GUESS is that the baby wasn't warm enough and couldn't digest its food.

Yvonne

(Oh, and if they got the turtle in a death bowl, they probably didn't have the correct food/diet either)

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I agree with everything Yvonne just said and I would add that babies are very fragile and new keepers really shouldn't attempt to keep them. I would get a yearling something and go from there. Get a bigger tank and get it all set up with water, UVB light, basking platform, heater and a hide BEFORE she gets the turtle. Run the tank for a couple of days to age the water and make sure the temperature is holding steady then get the turtle...
The turtles interior body temperature is very important for it to metabolize their food. He needs to be in the 90 degree range...HTH

 

[Crazy1]

Well not much to add to the two responses above I raised RES from hatchlings and Temp and the right food are the big ones. My I suggest if they get another perhpas a Reeves they stay a little smaller but the care I believed is about the same. I suggest they do more research before getting another one too.

 

[drgnfly2265]

She did have a heat lamp. That was the first thing I told her to get when she told me that she got the turtle. She said that she had it over the land area.

I'm not sure what kind of food that she was feeding it. All that she told me is that she was feeding it turtle pellets. Not sure what brand.

And yep, it was in a "death bowl". But she did get it out of there like I told her and then a week or two later is when it died.

Let me know if you need any other info to help you figure it out or guess what happened. She really wants to know. I'm sure it will help her out. I dont want this to stop her from getting another turtle or torotise.

________________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)
1 Shih tzu (Suki)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise

 

[rad8ted92083]

She did have a heat lamp. That was the first thing I told her to get when she told me that she got the turtle. She said that she had it over the land area.

I'm not sure what kind of food that she was feeding it. All that she told me is that she was feeding it turtle pellets. Not sure what brand.

And yep, it was in a "death bowl". But she did get it out of there like I told her and then a week or two later is when it died.

Let me know if you need any other info to help you figure it out or guess what happened. She really wants to know. I'm sure it will help her out. I dont want this to stop her from getting another turtle or torotise.

________________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)
1 Shih tzu (Suki)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise

you have to heat the water at all times 75 degrees or they get URI and they die.Not just a basking area and when the basking light is off they need a heat lamp

 

[Laura]

Maybe the water was bad. Chemicals. maybe the kids overfed or put something in the water.
Or it was just too cold. I larger tank-more water- colder...
Sorry.