Reeves turtle

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Tyanna

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Anyone have a good caresheet with tank set up examples? Also, any recommended breeders?
 

kameya

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I've just recently acquired 3 little Reeves babies from a friend, and I would say they are the most personable water turtle I've ever seen. When you watch them next to their tank, they will not swim away and hide behind the rock like Map turtles or other water turtles would to, instead, these small Reeves I got would stay right where they are and allow you to observe them. As for their appearance, they have no chance competing against baby RES, Map turtles, or Diamondback, but their personable characteristic will win your heart very very quickly.

This is the glass tank habitat I setup for the turtles...it has a heat lamp, water filtration, and crushed coral bottom.


According to the original owner, Reeves turtles are not very good swimmers like RES or Diamondback, so in their underwater habitat, you must provide some walking ramp or stepping stone for the little ones to walk out of the water before they learn how to swim properly...


I also setup a shallow water platform for the turtles to hang out if they don't like to dive deep into the water...


The little Reeves will go high and low in their habitat searching for new areas to explore...


All three of them bask together under the heat lamp...


Reeves turtles eat pretty much like the RES, you can just use turtle pellets as their main diet, and this is what I am using right now...


As a new owner of Reeves turtles, I also found this article from Reptiles Magazine very useful to get you started...
http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Reeves-Turtle-Care-Sheet/

Good luck...

(I took the above photos with my smartphone which doesn't provide quality images, but I guess you get the pictures... ^_^)
 

Tyanna

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This was great! I was researching a new friend to get (I only have a Russian tortoise currently) and these little cuties caught my eye!

Your advice and photos are great! Thank you!
 

Delilah1623

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I have a baby diamondback terrapin who is really sweet and tons of personality. If I remember correctly you are near me, I got her at the reptile show in Racine. They have another show in April if you're not in a huge hurry, it's called Sewerfest. I also saw some pink belly side necks and black knob babies there..... There might have been more but I was in a hurry to get my baby home Lol
 

dmmj

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I've had a pair of reevees for 26 years now. They are a neat species, not strong simmers, do better in more shallow water, not real strong swimmers like say reds, or such. Diet about the same, they stay small, mine only reached around 5 or 6 inches.
 

Tyanna

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I have a baby diamondback terrapin who is really sweet and tons of personality. If I remember correctly you are near me, I got her at the reptile show in Racine. They have another show in April if you're not in a huge hurry, it's called Sewerfest. I also saw some pink belly side necks and black knob babies there..... There might have been more but I was in a hurry to get my baby home Lol


I was there at the November show! Thank you!!
 

zenoandthetortoise

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This is Huxley. Fun personality. Kinda goofy. Picture a more aquatic box turtle and you will be pretty close. He will get in the outlet of the filter and bounce around regularly. Looks a lot like playing to this unbiased observer :)
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1418437945.368821.jpg
 

Randi

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This is Tiny! He is a "wild caught" Reeves. I grew up with four sliders. Having a Reeves is different. He wasn't the best swimmer as a baby so his water was quite low. He also has a strange fascination with eating rocks and gravel, so he lives in a bare bottom tank with live plants on driftwood everywhere. He has his basking spot that he loves to be on, and he also loves cooling off and chasing some fish. I've had him since he was 13 grams and that was October of last year. He's now over 105 grams, and is about four inches. He's got the biggest personality. I come home and he's right there at the front of the tank, swimming like a maniac. My guy is tolerant of being held and touched, he also really likes climbing up my legs. I always wanted a diamondback for their color, but I instead bought my Reeves and I have never regretted it.

Tiny loves prawn, snails, mealworms, brine shrimp, spirulina, mysis, live fish (guppies, mollies), live ghost/glass shrimp and the occasional nibble of the aquatic plant cryptocorne. He also regularly redecorates his tank. I'd encourage anyone who is interested in owning one! This was at a photoshoot that a friends step mother did. She's a professional photographer and asked us to bring in some of our reptiles!1412827591803.jpg
 

Randi

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10557336_10152324574987753_5347472536732915413_n.jpg 10553333_10152324575262753_8816731053172003924_n.jpg 1404584322042.jpg Thank you :) I've fallen for Reeves. Perfect size and spunky personality. Most days I find him doing strange things.

Pic 1: his first picture ever, after a week of having him. He went through shed after shed due to better nutrition, etc.

Pic 2: an afternoon nap when he was more comfortable in the tank

Pic 3: too comfortable in his tank, hahaha

Pic 4: still too comfy in his basking spot

Pic 5: uh oh, you caught me sleeping on the plants

1412825355588.jpg 20140417_184403.jpg 1412827503926.jpg 1412826665337.jpg 1412826530660.jpg 1409029595312.jpg
 
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