Turtle identification

[alLexX]

That looks like RES, just light in the red. Yellow bellies do not have a big yellow mark the exact size and shape of the red ears of a RES. I haven't seen as many yellow belly hatchlings as RES, but I don't remember yellow bellies having as many markings on their bellies. That stomach matches RES.

I am not sure how accurate that sexing is. I have heard of that for box turtles because the males need a concave stomach to stay on the females while mating, not a big issue in the water.

i still think its a yellow belly.i dont remember my RESs stomach looking like that,but it has been a while since he died

 

[Fishguy2727]

That ear marking is classic RES, exact shape and size. Something you don't see in any other species. I have seen RES with light orange and even yellow ears (just like the pic).

 

[Galligak]

About 10-15ish and I'm pretty sure all have been accurate because no one has said otherwise and I've looked at the claws and tails as well when they've gotten older.

 

[Galligak]

I just looked at the pictures again and yes they do look different. Sorry, must have not looked long enough at the markings- my fault!

 

[Fishguy2727]

No problem.

Interesting with the shell, hadn't heard that before. Unfortunately no turtles again in my immediate future to test it out for myself.

 

[Galligak]

That ear marking is classic RES, exact shape and size. Something you don't see in any other species. I have seen RES with light orange and even yellow ears (just like the pic).

I just google imaged "red eared sliders with yellow markings" and these exact same turtles showed up. My only though is they look a lot like my turtle when it was younger (don't have any pics on iPod but have some near me) and their bellies looks the same as well as their markings... Either way the yellow bellied and the red eared slider both act just about the same way and do about the same thing, only RES get a little bigger.l

 

[slitherbomb]

I don't think that the concave stomach is accurate for sexing. It could just mean it's a hungry turtle LOL. I'm not a turtle expert but I think the longer tail is a male.

 

[griffinej5]

It would be difficult, if not impossible to sex a turtle that small by a photo, and still hard in person, unless you were going to try to expose the hemipenis. I would not suggest that. If you saw one, you would know you had a male, and if you didn't, you either didn't expose it, or you have a female.
You should also be aware of this
Redearslider.com :: Important Legal Issues

 

[siva]

They do look exactly like my RES. I would hop over to redearslider.com. The forum over there is great. Post the pics and you'll get a positive ID for sure.

Aquatic turtles are a pretty big undertaking. They need 10 gallons of water per inch of their shell length. This means if you had a female that reached 12" and a male that reached 8" (these are the likely numbers, could be even larger though) you should have atleast a 200 gallon tank. With a good size basking area on top. You need a massive filter on the tank such as the Fluval Fx5. Pretty expensive set up.

If they don't already have both a heat lamp and UVB lamp over a basking area, that should be #1 priority.

 

[Fishguy2727]

The legal issues are mainly for stores trying to sell them (or give them away 'free' with purchase of setup). It is not illegal to own them (as a Federal law, state and local may prohibit that). In fact it isn't illegal to to sell them as pets privately (not associated with a business).

The 10 gallons per inch rule is a good guide, but not a law. A pair (given in the last example) would be fine in a 4' 120gallon tank. But bigger is always better.

 

[siva]

I don't feel a 120 gal tank provides enough room for a full grown male and female pair. IMO the 10 gals per inch rule should be followed.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Any of those guides are just that, guides. In a 4' 120 (48x24x24) they can both swim around, turn around, etc. In the wild they have meters of depth and acres of area. Anything we provide is insufficient.

 

[griffinej5]

The legal issues are mainly for stores trying to sell them (or give them away 'free' with purchase of setup). It is not illegal to own them (as a Federal law, state and local may prohibit that). In fact it isn't illegal to to sell them as pets privately (not associated with a business).

The 10 gallons per inch rule is a good guide, but not a law. A pair (given in the last example) would be fine in a 4' 120gallon tank. But bigger is always better.

Nope, not illegal to buy them, but did think it's something people who are interested in getting a turtle should be aware of.

My grandpa never put uv lights on his turtle, but he put her outside when he cleaned the tank, if the weather allowed for it. I'm not exactly sure how to calculate it, but there's a lot more uv in sunlight than lamps. A few minutes in the sun will suffice for uv lighting, but if you don't live in a climate where you could do this on weekly basis most of the year, this probably isn't an option for you.

 

[siva]

Any of those guides are just that, guides. In a 4' 120 (48x24x24) they can both swim around, turn around, etc. In the wild they have meters of depth and acres of area. Anything we provide is insufficient.

That's how I feel about them for the most part...anything is insufficient. I don't really think they should even be pets in most scenario's, quite frankly. If we are keeping them indoors, I think 10 gals per inch is the least we can do for them. I like to see 10 gals per inch filled to the brim with a basking area on top, personally. Rather than a basking area taking up some of that tank space. JMO.

 

[siva]

Nope, not illegal to buy them, but did think it's something people who are interested in getting a turtle should be aware of.

My grandpa never put uv lights on his turtle, but he put her outside when he cleaned the tank, if the weather allowed for it. I'm not exactly sure how to calculate it, but there's a lot more uv in sunlight than lamps. A few minutes in the sun will suffice for uv lighting, but if you don't live in a climate where you could do this on weekly basis most of the year, this probably isn't an option for you.

That's not true. Aquatic turtles require a UVB lamp if not given atleast 5 hours a week of direct sunlight. Any sunlight blocked by glass or screen doesn't count either since those block UVB rays.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Agreed. They need high quality UVB lighting on a daily basis. The best lighting are the mercury vapor bulbs. They provide white light, infrared (heat), UVA, and UVB. And they do it better than separating the lighting (heat bulb and a fluorescent UVB). They are more expensive but last much longer, if you are buying new you should at least break even.

Good lighting+good food+clean water+space=healthy turtle.