Thinking about saving this guy...

[LuckysGirl007]

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/pet/3344578760.html

He's an Ornate. I was looking up care but of course found many different sources with conflicting information. I want to make sure I can provide well for him..he looks like he needs some TLC and rehab. Would he need live food or would the canned and jarred insects work? He comes with a 10 gallon tank and "the dirt stuff" they bought him at Petco....whatever that is! Poor little thing looks pretty sad. How can I help him?

 

[dmmj]

Even though that is a bad picture, for some reason I can't say, something looks off. They prefer live food, but when I was younger I used to feed dead flies I killed with a flyswatter to my box turtles.

 

[LuckysGirl007]

He's very puffy looking. I don't know if it could be from a staple diet of canned dog food though.

 

[mchong9606]

He's very puffy looking. I don't know if it could be from a staple diet of canned dog food though.

I agree, he looks "puffy" for some reason. A diet that's too rich maybe? Nonetheless, go for the save! Good luck!

 

[shellysmom]

Mmmmmmmm.... canned bugs.

The main key is variety. For instance, if s/he eats nothing but tiny crickets (canned or live) that's no good, but if it eats a combo of earthworms, wax worms, crickets, meal worms, grubs, and such, he should be good to go. Some of those you can buy in a can, but not all of them. You can put a little vitamin/mineral powder in a baggie a couple times a week with the bugs and shake it a bit to "dust" the food with his supplements before you feed it. If he'll eat greens and veggies, or a little fruit, that would be great, too, but he might be too young to be interested in food that doesn't move.

 

[Neal]

I agree that something looks a little off. It looks like the front part of his shell is starting to curl upwards...I've seen this on quite a few that are brought up wrong and both ends of their shell curve upwards so it looks almost like a banana.

It is a bad picture, so maybe I'm just seeing things.

 

[lynnedit]

It is sort of a weird angle. I wonder if he is being kept too dry (despite her 'mister').
You could ask for a few more pics.

Since he is young, he sure has potential....you better get him.

 

[sibi]

Save this guy. It's still a baby and things can be corrected at that time. I would have a vet take samples of his poop. Ever since I read the story of Scooter, I've been an advocate of having torts/turtle's poop checked for parasites. It can make a big difference in their care and may even save their lives. This lil guy may be fine, but it's the added security and prevention that counts for it's owner.

 

[LuckysGirl007]

It is sort of a weird angle. I wonder if he is being kept too dry (despite her 'mister').
You could ask for a few more pics.

Since he is young, he sure has potential....you better get him.

Ha! Her "mister" was a No More Tangles spray bottle! But don't worry "there's only water in it".