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I just found this site surfing. My five year old daughter found a RES in a pond behind grandmas. We decided to give him a home. We are looking forward to enjoying him together. His name is Franklin.

Chad

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Hi, I hate to say it...but if the turtle was found already living in a pond, he should be put back there, unless there are some other circumstances surrounding this pond that you didn't mention.

Ok, I read on the site about the wild RES...I understand and will return him to the wild tomorrow....Its going to break my daughters heart so I need to let her know that I plan on getting one. My question is were is the best place to get one from?

If you have read up on all that's required to care for a RES and still want to get one I would suggest checking with your local animal shelter to see if they have any turtles that are in need of a home. You can also check your local Craig's List, people always post unwanted reptiles and other pets there. A good online place to find a turtle that needs adopting is http://www.petfinder.com/. Good luck, and I'm glad you decided to return him to his pond.

We already have tropical fish (70 gal bow front) so I am aware of the costs of set up. I already had a 30 gal tank, heater and magnum filter for him as a start. I think we would like to get another little one and raise it from young. I will check with the local animal shelter and such but I live in Ohio and there is a good market for fish but you don't see many people with turtles. So far what I have read and seen they seem like really cool pets and my daughter really loves the one we found so I can' t wait to long to replace Franklin...Thanks for you help and the advise.

I agree with going with a shelter or craigslist. I also recommend you make sure that you've read through everything, not just the basics. Since you have a background with tropical fish, you already understand some of the needs and costs, so that's a plus. And to help with your daughter, you might try making the new turtle a goal for her, like if she get's straight A's (or good grades) or if she can keep up with her chores for a certain period of time. That was a real motivator for me as a child.