Habitat - Outdoor :: Turtle in the pond

[wstz4u]

Good Morning,
This is my first visit and I have a couple of questions. My husband found a red ear slider on Friday in our yard. We don't know where he (or she) came from. We took it to a local nursery that also has fish, etc. They confirmed it to be a res at about 3-5 yrs old. He said we could let it go in the pond we have (3k gallons) and it would be fine. So we did. Yesterday and haven't seen it since. What happened? How long can it stay under water without coming out to warm itself?
Anita

[steve]

Hi, there is no guarantee that it will stay in your pond, though a 3000 gallon pond must be nice. If it's a wild RES, it will likely shy away from people. Additionally, you need a basking area for the slider to climb onto. Usually logs/branches or accessible rocks are suitable basking areas.

They could hold their breath for long periods of time, though they may just poke their noses out of the water and would not have to surface completely.

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[wstz4u]

We do have several flat rock the he can get up on and also a pebble beach that turns into sand.

Maybe after he has been there for a while he will choose to let us see him sunning himself.

Thanks for the encouragement!

[steve]

I have a few of questions... how big is it? Is it a female? Are there any nearby streams, ponds, lakes? A female might have strayed into your yard looking for a nesting area, in which I think she should be returned to her normal habitat. Unless it's a small RES or one that has been abandoned, then you should find out where it came from.

A previously captive RES might be more willing to adapt to your pond... however you would need to make an investment in protecting the area from escape and from predators. You'll also need appropriate water heating, possibly an improvement in your water filtration and available food sources.