Found Juvenile Diamondback Terrapin
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Hello All, I’m Renee’ Morel from Slidell, LA. I found what I think is a juvenile diamondback terrapin this afternoon. The wee one was floating down Faciane Bayou near our boat dock. He’s so small and appeared helpless and vulnerable in the large bayou. I expected him/her to duck under the brackish water when I got near him, but he didn’t. I scooped him up and brought him inside. Now what?? I want to keep him. My husband says I’m in “turtle-love”. The wee one is adorable, but I haven’t had a turtle before and am unsure how to properly care for him. Any advice is appreciated. I plan to visit a pet store in the am. The turtle measures 1″ in width and 1.5″ in length. He has 3 pronounced black “bumps” on his back. Thank you in advance……. Renee’
First, I recommend posting a pic of it or emailing it to someone who would know if it’s a Terrapin or not. Second, go here and read everything you can about them. Most importantly is type of food, quantity of food, UVA and UVB light w/ a basking area, temperature of water, and amount of water. They need the right amounts of all of these…you can find it all over the web. Am I missing anything guys? 🙂 It’s a tough job keeping a turtle…themorels
Hello Rene From your description it seems like you have a dbt. A pic would be the best thing to tell for sure. I find this group to have great knowledge of dbts from the material I’ve read. It’s nice to read someone is close to my hometown (Chalmette). I keep mine outside under my patio where the get just enough sun. Its worked so far for the other type turtles I have, but I am new to baby dbts. Keep in touch I’m interested to see how you make out with your guy ……or gal. themorels
Hi Renee, Well from your description of the hatchling and its environment, it certainly sounds like a diamondback terrapin. There’s a couple of websites where you’ll be able to find information on caring for them: http://www.neoTerrapin.com/home/ http://www.diamondbackterrapin.com They’ll be a lot easier to read through than the posts on this group. Welcome to the group and let us know if you have any questions. Chun Tail Moderator — In diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com, “themorels”
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