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Hi everyone. Well I found this forum trying to find out how I can better care for my turtle. The only thing I know about taking care of turtles is what I learned from my pet store and also what I pick up here and there on the internet. Back in March, my 4 year old granddaughter saw a little turtle walking across the yard. She was walking on the grass when I first got her so I had no idea how much she loves the water until a few days later. She was 2 inches when we got her and now she is around 4 inches. Here's a picture of her. We think its a girl. I have not figured out how to resize pictures on my MAC yet. Guess that's another forum! ha ha She comes up to me to eat and eats out of my hand now. I will have to find more pictures from when we first got her.

Meet Star!


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/U4cEOlFMH3j7itePkqj1_DWj-2Ub4gQU7mwJUHRskdZYNYdEXE93Kqn_rI9zt7WR2bjO1PM-KRrt8dY5PxPLWff6V5e-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-Mzk78OYDd5Xek7LE3iybiQ=w471-h628-no

Very cute turtle
Welcome Melita !

Hello again ! From your other post and photo I was guessing at 3 1/2". See above at 4" . With the claws short and even at 4" you have a girl ! You will love being a turtle mom !

Welcome to the forum!

PokePony wrote:Very cute turtle
Welcome Melita !

Thank you.

litefoot wrote:Hello again ! From your other post and photo I was guessing at 3 1/2". See above at 4" . With the claws short and even at 4" you have a girl ! You will love being a turtle mom !

I just measured her. She has a shell a little over 4 inches and a flat bottom of the shell. Pretty sure it's a girl.

Any new photos ? From the other I still say a girl too. At 4" some are reaching sexual maturity and should know for sure . Only 100% way is the cloaca ! But the short even claws are a give away to.

Just a note: A convex ,flat or concave plastron for sex only true for "some" types of tortoise's or land turtles not "aquatic turtles" ! Each species has it's own way to determine sex . A concave shell on males helps in the mating activities of tortoises , box turtles , terrestrial species. Not generally the case with aquatic's that breed while swimming , like sliders.

I took some more pictures. The front nails appear to be short. Not sure on the tail.

To me still looks smaller than 4" ??? Could be just the pattern's ? Are you measuring the head and tail too. If so turtles only go by the shell !

http://www.redearslider.com/anatomy.html

I use a caliper easier !

Sure you like the gravel but it's small and turtles test everything with there mouth. Before you have a big vet bill from her eating some and getting a blockage you may want to reconsider. Bare bottom works and would be easier to clean. Sand is small , if eaten does not cause blockage. Large river rocks are just to large to eat , looks great but harder to clean between them.

Unless she's very comfortable with you it's hard for most to check the youwho.

Piggley says thank for the photos , he says girl too !

I saw that on the Facebook page earlier tonight about eating everything. I will be taking the rocks out tomorrow. Thanks.

Oh, she wouldn't come out of her shell when I took her out of the water. I measured from the tip of the shell where the head is to the tip of the shell where the tail is and it was a tad over 4 inches.

She wants a chin rub in that last picture

Steve that was thru the glass. Litefoot, I took the rocks out and she swims across the bottom so fast now. I think she likes it.

That doesn't mean she don't want her chin rubbed !

In time down the road after you get "all" down , like water cycles and maintenance , you could add a proper substrate !

Observe well and she will tell you what she wants.

Hi I’m new to the forum. Still learning how things work. I’ve had Pickles(almost 3 years) and Emmet (2 years) but I’m still learning. I’m not sure how to post new topics so if anyone could give me a heads up I’d appreciate that. Someone said the “new topic”button in the top left corner but I don’t see one. Anywho... hope to meet lots of turtly people.