Errrm Gollum is scaring me

it is amazing how much those things can eat. i have a snapping turtle that does about the same.
some turtle experts told me their stomachs are about the size of their heads... interesting little factoid for ya..

what kind of turtle is Gollum anyway?

Gollum is a hatchling Red Eared Slider my DH found at a train station [] here he is...
 

I'm not much of a turtle person, but he is awful cute.

my guy isnt nearly as cute as a pond slider - weird that he was at a train station... lucky too i would imagine.

anyway - meet Hoggle - [linkhttp://www.deviantart.com/deviation/52606042/]http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/52606042/[/link]

He looks a little bigger than the last picture I saw of him. Just as cute and very GREEN!! []

Not meaning to scare you or anything, but I was just on the FDA's recall website, and found this warning.  I know you are very knowledgable about animals, but my conscience makes me post it.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01604.html

Don't worry marty....we're being careful. He is transported in a measuring cup and handwashing is in full effect when I handle him (rarely) and do water changes. Lily has gotten to hold him once since he came home and then she washed in anti bact soap twice. They understand he's a looking at pet...not a holding pet. Even tho he is super cuddly lookin!
 
We're going to take him to a vet if we can find an exotic's one nearby to have him tested...and to eliminate any bugs if he has them. We wanted to make sure he was flourishing first before we did so tho.

Ok..Mother Hen will go back in her coop now!

Turtles / terrapins are actually in low numbers, sad to say.  They have a big area that they cover, and we make roads thru their territory.    I come across alot of turtles crossing the road.  If you see one, if you can, please stop and help it across the road - always, always in the direction it was heading.  Sometimes I will walk a little ways so it won't run into a fence or particluarly overgrown area.
 
I always keep a pair of gloves in my car for just such a purpose so I don't have to handle them.  Also, hold the turtle away from your body b/c some of them get pretty scared and will pee all over!  Most don't, but some sure do!

Wow he eats a lot for a little turtle... Almost as much as my CWD's.
Each of them eats around 15 mealworms at a time, or around 10 crickets (all insects get dusted first). They're getting to be lil fattys [&:]
I had one of those turtles a few years ago, found it in a parking lot. And actually just last summer, I found a baby snapping turtle (really small lil guy) in Baileys DOG HOUSE. I dunno how it even got in there since his house is off the ground... weird.

Gina, he is just beautiful!! His coloring is very, very nice. He looks like he's doing well.

Gina, and anyone else can feel free to argue with me if you want, but if you are putting him outside a significant amount, you really don't need the uv light. He'll be fine if he doesn't get out for a few days. The uv he gets from the natural sunlight is much, much more than can ever be duplicated by a lamp.
BTW, he is so cute!!

ORIGINAL: chasza

Turtles / terrapins are actually in low numbers, sad to say.  They have a big area that they cover, and we make roads thru their territory.    I come across alot of turtles crossing the road.  If you see one, if you can, please stop and help it across the road - always, always in the direction it was heading.  Sometimes I will walk a little ways so it won't run into a fence or particluarly overgrown area.

I always keep a pair of gloves in my car for just such a purpose so I don't have to handle them.  Also, hold the turtle away from your body b/c some of them get pretty scared and will pee all over!  Most don't, but some sure do!

We're told to do the opposite in Florida. infact its illegal to "molest" certain turtles and tortoises, not to mention a few other species of animals. not just for the animals but the safety of the people. a woman was hit by a car and killed while trying to rescue an injured bird off the side of the road during a heavy fog.
 Also some turtles are jerks. You can move them off the road and in the direction they were headed only to have them turn around and go right back towards the danger zone.
My step mom once "rescued" a large gopher tortoise from a busy four lane highway. she put him in the back seat and drove him to a secluded wooded area... good right? wrong.... that poor thing is homeless now because they tend to live in the same burrow their whole lives. i see her logic though. it might have better if he is homeless rather than dead.. tough call...
One thing i thought was funny about gophers and the law.... its illegal to own one (without a special license of course) But if you owned one before 1980-something its ok, as long as you have proof that you owned him before they passed the law making it illegal []

ORIGINAL: marty_ga

Not meaning to scare you or anything, but I was just on the FDA's recall website, and found this warning.  I know you are very knowledgable about animals, but my conscience makes me post it.

[linkhttp://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01604.html]http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01604.html[/link]

the bacteria is usually attached to the turtle due to mucky water and the food that is fed to them. wish they would mention that little bit once in a while [:'(] 
if you feed your turtle raw chicken (another source of the bacteria) and he eats everything but a little bit, of if there is a residue left then he will be exposed to it. its not like they "create" the bacteria all on their own..... or if they do, no one told me.  also, little known fact is that some pet foods and treats can contain the bacteria as well. especially if there is a lot of meat in that product. when i was pregnant i was told to wash my hands after handling my dog's food or giving them a snack.... it never occurred to me in the past...
They actually make turtle tank sanitizers just for this reason.
Another thing about their sizes.... i see sliders for sale at the flea market and they are no bigger than two inches.... how did they get away with that?