General Care Discussion :: Adopted RES is 4+ years old but only 2.5" long.

[myklsc]

Hi everyone. New to the forum. I've found a lot of helpful info here but just wanted to get some feedback on my situation.

I recently adopted a very small (2.5") RES from a friend of a friend who, from what I have been told, had had him/her for 4 years. It wasnt known how old the RES was before that time. But from what I undertand, the turtle was never really cared for properly. Was kept in a small tank with some rocks and enough water to cover the shell. No heater, no lamps, and has never had much of a varied diet (I was given the dried shrimp that he/she was being fed).

Having never owned a turtle before I immediately looked up as much info as I could find and went and bought as much of the proper supplies as I could afford. I've had him/her (too small to tell the sex) for a couple of weeks now and I had a simple setup that I'm looking to improve upon in the coming days. Photos below.

Rubbermaid Plastic Container
Submersible Water Heater (have been able to keep the water temp around 75/76 degrees and the basking platform around 83/84)
QuietFlow 10 Water Filter (small but seems to be handling the job well so far)
Two Lamps - one with a 40W incandescent bulb and another with a UVB 10.0 bulb.
A small basking platform (one of those foam ones with the suction cups that dont stick. Wonder if the shakiness of the platform discourages basking?)
Some river rocks and a cave I bought from the reptile pet store. He/She seems to like it for the shelter.

Will be getting a proper tank very soon, larger basking platform and some plants.

I just want to know if there are any possible health concerns I should be worried about. Especially with the very small size for the age. When I first adopted the RES, he/she was very slow and not very active. Not interested in eating for the first couple days. But since has become very active but skittish. Quickly hiding if I approach and only basking when I've left the room for some time. But eating now seems normal and I'm making sure not to over do it. Also I've noticed some slight shedding happening on the top and bottom of the shell. Shell doesnt appear to be pyramiding but does seem as if the scutes have some layering. Also can I expect him/her to grow normally now with the proper care or is this the size he/she will remain?

Ok this is getting long so I'll leave it at that for now and attach some pictures. Thanks for any help.

[Mo Milazzo]

Here's what I can offer you is
1. You have obviously done your research and your temporary tank is absolutely fab
2. Some turtles grow slowly, which is fine. In fact, you want your turtle to grow slowly. It means your not going insane on the protein.
3. Yes your turtle will grow more.
4. Being skittish is normal.
5. If you continue to take great care of he/she, they'll be fine. There is a piece of the shell that kinda looks dented in the picture, but nothing to serious.


May I ask the name of your turtle and what you feed it?
~Mo

[steve]

From a visual aspect, it looks more like a turtle thats been overfed and only a few months old. Regardless, I'll do a careful inspection of the shell. It does look like some parts might be lifting up... if you gently press down, does any water seep out?

[myklsc]

May I ask the name of your turtle and what you feed it?
~Mo

Hey Mo thanks! Actually havent named him yet. Have been feeding dried shrimps and romain lettuce. Gave him a slice of strawberry that they went crazy over. I since have set up a tank and the turtle seems to really be enjoying it. Not very skittish anymore. There is a screen on top of the tank which I think is helping him feel a little more secure. Will bask when im in the room now. Actually doesnt even to care that I hang around anymore.

From a visual aspect, it looks more like a turtle thats been overfed and only a few months old. Regardless, I'll do a careful inspection of the shell. It does look like some parts might be lifting up... if you gently press down, does any water seep out?

No water seeping out and the shell seems sturdy. Actually shed a couple full scutes over the weekend. Good sign? The shell does have a raised line down the middle around its peak. Almost looks like what one would assume to be a spine. Are there any red flags I should be looking for? Does color indicate anything?

Overall I'm feeling better after getting the tank setup. His activity seems to be up and curious about his new surroundings.

Thanks for the responses guys.

[myklsc]

Here is a link to a short video taken earlier today of him in the new tank.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12134847/Video ... 6%20PM.mov

[devilduck]

That tank rocks! We should sticky it as an example of how you can create a basic setup for a small turtle on a budget.

[myklsc]

Please, anyone feel free to use the images/text as you see fit.

[theartbook35]

Love the tank set up! Thank you for doing your research!

Maybe you have a male? That or, your friend didn't really have this turtle as long as they say. The guy we got my turtle Sadie from said she was three years old, but given her size (8 1/2 inches) and the fact that she is sexually mature and successfully laid a batch of eggs last year, we estimate she is between 10 and 15 years old.

A bad diet can also have a really bad effect on a turtle's growth. There is no severe pyramiding that I see, which means the turtle probably wasn't fed very often. Turtles grow based on how often they are fed. Feed them too much, and they grow insanely fast. Feed them too infrequently, and they don't grow much. I would feed your little one based on what the feeding and nutrition board says, and see what happens.

The only other explanation I have is genetics, that your turtle might just be a very tiny turtle throughout its whole life. There are people on this forum with females that are only 7 inches long, and have almost completely stopped growing.

[myklsc]

A bad diet can also have a really bad effect on a turtle's growth. There is no severe pyramiding that I see, which means the turtle probably wasn't fed very often. Turtles grow based on how often they are fed. Feed them too much, and they grow insanely fast. Feed them too infrequently, and they don't grow much. I would feed your little one based on what the feeding and nutrition board says, and see what happens.

Yeah bad diet and lack of proper tank setup (no water heater/lamps) kept the little guy cold and slowed his growth a great deal is what I've decided. I did find out that they had him for "a total of almost four years". I misinterpreted the age the first time I was told. So Im assuming somewhere between 3.5 - 4 years old.