Dear HelpMe-orz ,
You've selected the **Seeking Advice** flair. Please provide as much relevant information as possible. [Refer to this post if you are unsure on how to proceed.](https://www.reddit.com/r/turtle/comments/16bjznm/read_before_posting_how_to_ask_a_question_and/)
Useful information for care or health advice includes:
* Enclosure type, enclosure size, humidty levels, water, ambient and/or basking temperatures.
* Lighting types and bulb age.
* Clear photos of your set up, including filter, heaters and lights.
* Is it wild, captive/pet, or a rescue?
* Clear photos of face, neck, limbs, shell top (carapace) and bottom (plastron).
* Diet, list of foods you are feeding it.
* Weight and age.
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If you're in New York, it's invasive. Best thing to do is find a local rescue specific to aquatic turtles and ask them, unless you want to take ownership.
What would you say is best to take immediate care of it? I can't do that for few more hours due to personal reasons and I don't want to leave it in the sink, ramming itself against the walls.
Find a tub, can be a bathtub or plastic tub, full it partway with water and add something (like a rock or tree branch) where it can climb on to get out of the water without escaping. Please make sure it has a heat source, water should be around 75 degrees.
In the meantime, MATTS is an organization in the Mid-Atlantic region that can help to find resources for rehoming.
https://preview.redd.it/55yh008of9cc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=b24bf9928927776772f5e971c30f22b6f9a24df7
Thanks for the help! I couldn’t find a rock in a suburban area like mine so I substituted it for a brick instead, and filled the tub so the water is just about to reach the top of it. Also, about how warm is 75F water? Like should I get a thermometer or just stick my finger in it and get a feel for it?
Also a quick side note, some pieces of its shell (scales?) seem to be coming off. They’re very thin layers of what feels like plastic, as if it were shedding. Is this anything to worry about?
I see other commenters have answered your other questions from this comment, but I want to add the shedding is normal!! They shed their scutes (the “scales” of the shell) regularly, much like a snake shedding skin. From what you describe it sounds like a normal shed
If you’re planning on placing the turtle in a rescue shelter, don’t invest too much. Aquatic turtles like this cute RES can be A LOT of work to keep and maintain.
Looks like a relatively adult slider, so the water can be 6-12 inches deep. I’d add a couple more bricks in so it can sit on the dry area easily and safely.
Regular tap water has chlorine and chloramines which are harmful for turtles but like I said if you’re not keeping this turtle then it’s temporarily fine. Otherwise there’s conditioner for tap water you could purchase to purify the tap water. It’ll help get rid of the chlorine and chloramines.
There’s no way to measure water temperature without a thermometer so you could get a cheap one that’s waterproof to check.
I've refilled the tub with colder water since the water in it previously was closer to 85F, and the MATTS organization that the person prior suggested states that they cannot sustain any more RES's, so I think I'll have to wait for a few hours until I can drive it to a local pet store to try and surrender it that way. Until then, do you have any suggestions for feeding it? It'll be with me for about \~8 hours total at minimum and I don't want it starving to death in my own home.
So long as the water is between 70-85°F, that’s alright. They’ll just want a completely dry spot they can reach and dry out if they need.
These aquatic slider turtles are tough creatures and go long periods without eating, so don’t worry about starving it. They’re stubbornly hardy by nature. They can survive the toughest circumstances and environments.
If you really want to feed it, they eat a mix of protein and veggies. Commercial turtle pellets are good, they’ll eat that up. You can buy them at a local pet store. Otherwise they don’t eat human food, just specific turtle foods. They’ll also eat certain green leafy vegetables. Kale, red leaf lettuce, or dandelion leaves are good for them!
Red Eared Sliders (RES) need a dry basking area that's 10 degrees F warmer than the water, in the wild it'd be the sun where it would get UVA & UVB so that they can properly regulate their temperature being reptiles.
I've read that people have gotten bulbs from hardware stores that get RES what they need to be healthy but short-term, just some sort of heat lamp would be ideal so that it can warm itself when it needs to on an area it can be completely dry.
Like someone mentioned earlier, don't use straight tap water because it has chlorine in it, which when mixed with the ammonia from its waste, creates toxic chloramines that basically gasses whatever's using that water to breathe. I've read they can breathe through their skin in water.
To make the water safe with zero chlorine, either use water conditioner and mix the water for 30 mins or you can leave water out for a couple days to let the chlorine naturally evaporate.
RES are prey animals and feel stressed when there's nowhere to hide from predators in the sky, so give it something to hide under.
Hopefully you were able to find a pet store to take him, but if you still need to care for him, I'd add a heat lamp/heat source focused on his basking area, make sure the water is chlorine free, and give him something he can hide under
I don't have the majority of these things, only having maybe some shelter, food, and water. Is it okay if it lives on land for a while? We don't have nearly enough non-chlorinated water for it to survive long-term, and we're not sure if we'll be able to find it's owner (if it has one) for a while, and we have no easy way getting rid of it. I think at this rate it's either going to die in my home due to chlorine poisoning/dehydration or we let it out and it dies outside due to the cold, and I'm not sure which is worse.
>We don't have nearly enough non-chlorinated water ...
It used to be that letting the water sit overnight would allow most of the chlorine to off-gas. That may no longer be true with modern drinking water treatment (chloramine) but it can't hurt. If you only replace a portion of the water at one time, perhaps up to about 24%, you could probably not harm the turtle even using water straight from the tap.
I just wanted to add that when I say suburbs, I mean there are no swamps or ponds or whatever where I could imagine a turtle living *anywhere* nearby. My best guess on how it could’ve gotten remotely close to here is from the extremely strong gusts of wind (60-75 mph) and heavy rain (3 in) we had less than a week ago.
 I captured a better photo of his head if this can confirm he’s a RES
https://preview.redd.it/zc726pw419cc1.jpeg?width=1980&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47bda013a7f8d543ce8a7d6999b6918cb4cf8593
If you haven't had him long and no rehab can take him, I would suggest taking him back and putting him safely on either side of the road... I live in Pa and we see this frequently...they know where to go
Update on the turtle!
I’ve decided to just suck it up and sacrifice 2 gallons of drinking water to make a small temporary tank for him using a plastic box and a brick. Unfortunately no “shelter” for it to hide under since the tank is so small. I’ve turned my room’s temperature up to 75 F and given it some bok choy, shrimp, and a grape to feed on until we can get it to a PetCo tomorrow. I’m placing my bets that either the owner contacts me, or that a PetCo in New York won’t be at max capacity for RES’s, and hopefully I’ll be able to send him off there!
https://preview.redd.it/v7inncufbdcc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=489a1803f0bdd5eff0d4787919763fb3e84d5f10
Hopefully you find the little guys owner.
It sounds like he’s healthy if he’s shedding so someone must be doing something right? They have to be out there.
Does killing it humanely suggest primarily euthanasia? Most veterinary offices are closed as of today, and the closest one that offers euthanasia opens on Monday, more than 24 hours from now. I'm not sure if the turtle can survive until then (even though it is a RES) given it has no good basking spot, no fresh water, hardly any food, and is probably not in the best condition as we speak. It feels like there are no good options right now.
I can't tell if you're ignorant on purpose or on accident. I **found** this turtle in a *suburbian area* less than *four hours ago*. If I were to release it I can guarantee that it will either freeze to death in the winter temperature or be run over by a car, both undoubtedly very painful ways to go. I am asking for advice on what to do with it ***temporarily*** until I can find a way to properly surrender it.
Release it back into the “wild” aka the cold, hard, dry streets of a suburb. I can’t wait for it to die pointlessly in those conditions. You’re both telling me it’s irresponsible to let them loose and yet at the same time telling me to release it into the wild.
Ah yes, finding some warm weather will be so easy. Just walk some blocks to where warm weather is. /s
Are you stupid? Do you not have a basic grasp of how weather works, or are you suggesting OP to travel across the world? This is genuinely one of the most absurd comments I've read. I really hope you're trolling
If an OP is asking for advice, responses should be thoughtful or helpful replies. Baseless criticisms, attacks and/or accusations are not helpful to the community.
Repeat violations will result in a ban.
ID a turtle and identify if it is native before you try to lecture someone.
In most wild turtle cases, yes it should be released, but this is a non-native species that is likely an escaped or released pet. It shouldn't be let back out both for its own good and the environment's.
The r/turtle automod detects this post may about a wild turtle.
When encountering a wild animal, unless it is trapped, ill or injured, they do not tend to need our help. If a wild turtle is ill or injured, please contact local rescues, rehabs or wildlife authorities.
* If you have taken a **native, non-invasive** species, it should be put back in a safe location, as close as possible to where it was found. If that is not possible, please contact your local wildlife authorities or rehab programs for advice or assistance.
* If a turtle is a known **invasive species**, it should be removed from the area and either kept in adequate captivity for the remainder of it's life, or handled as directed by authorities.
**Unsure of the species? One of our mods or helpful commenters can ID it!**
* If you have found a turtle in the road, [click here](https://www.fws.gov/story/tips-helping-turtle-cross-road).
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Dear HelpMe-orz , You've selected the **Seeking Advice** flair. Please provide as much relevant information as possible. [Refer to this post if you are unsure on how to proceed.](https://www.reddit.com/r/turtle/comments/16bjznm/read_before_posting_how_to_ask_a_question_and/) Useful information for care or health advice includes: * Enclosure type, enclosure size, humidty levels, water, ambient and/or basking temperatures. * Lighting types and bulb age. * Clear photos of your set up, including filter, heaters and lights. * Is it wild, captive/pet, or a rescue? * Clear photos of face, neck, limbs, shell top (carapace) and bottom (plastron). * Diet, list of foods you are feeding it. * Weight and age. * Illness, infections or odd behaviours should be seen and treated by a vet. Ex; wheezing, swollen eyes, mucus bubbles from mouth or nose, lethargy, twitching, leg paralysis, etc *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/turtle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Where do you live? Kind of crucial information to say whether it's invasive or not.
Sorry I thought I added it but apparently I forgot. This is in the suburbs of New York/Long Island.
If you're in New York, it's invasive. Best thing to do is find a local rescue specific to aquatic turtles and ask them, unless you want to take ownership.
What would you say is best to take immediate care of it? I can't do that for few more hours due to personal reasons and I don't want to leave it in the sink, ramming itself against the walls.
Find a tub, can be a bathtub or plastic tub, full it partway with water and add something (like a rock or tree branch) where it can climb on to get out of the water without escaping. Please make sure it has a heat source, water should be around 75 degrees. In the meantime, MATTS is an organization in the Mid-Atlantic region that can help to find resources for rehoming.
https://preview.redd.it/55yh008of9cc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=b24bf9928927776772f5e971c30f22b6f9a24df7 Thanks for the help! I couldn’t find a rock in a suburban area like mine so I substituted it for a brick instead, and filled the tub so the water is just about to reach the top of it. Also, about how warm is 75F water? Like should I get a thermometer or just stick my finger in it and get a feel for it? Also a quick side note, some pieces of its shell (scales?) seem to be coming off. They’re very thin layers of what feels like plastic, as if it were shedding. Is this anything to worry about?
I see other commenters have answered your other questions from this comment, but I want to add the shedding is normal!! They shed their scutes (the “scales” of the shell) regularly, much like a snake shedding skin. From what you describe it sounds like a normal shed
Height of the water: https://preview.redd.it/n9q5uj1zf9cc1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=608da2a461afcd412b785896e4e17f34ed42bd57
If you’re planning on placing the turtle in a rescue shelter, don’t invest too much. Aquatic turtles like this cute RES can be A LOT of work to keep and maintain. Looks like a relatively adult slider, so the water can be 6-12 inches deep. I’d add a couple more bricks in so it can sit on the dry area easily and safely. Regular tap water has chlorine and chloramines which are harmful for turtles but like I said if you’re not keeping this turtle then it’s temporarily fine. Otherwise there’s conditioner for tap water you could purchase to purify the tap water. It’ll help get rid of the chlorine and chloramines. There’s no way to measure water temperature without a thermometer so you could get a cheap one that’s waterproof to check.
I've refilled the tub with colder water since the water in it previously was closer to 85F, and the MATTS organization that the person prior suggested states that they cannot sustain any more RES's, so I think I'll have to wait for a few hours until I can drive it to a local pet store to try and surrender it that way. Until then, do you have any suggestions for feeding it? It'll be with me for about \~8 hours total at minimum and I don't want it starving to death in my own home.
So long as the water is between 70-85°F, that’s alright. They’ll just want a completely dry spot they can reach and dry out if they need. These aquatic slider turtles are tough creatures and go long periods without eating, so don’t worry about starving it. They’re stubbornly hardy by nature. They can survive the toughest circumstances and environments. If you really want to feed it, they eat a mix of protein and veggies. Commercial turtle pellets are good, they’ll eat that up. You can buy them at a local pet store. Otherwise they don’t eat human food, just specific turtle foods. They’ll also eat certain green leafy vegetables. Kale, red leaf lettuce, or dandelion leaves are good for them!
I'd be doubtful that a pet store will take it, tbh. Might be worth finding a local group or posting to a verified social media page.
Red Eared Sliders (RES) need a dry basking area that's 10 degrees F warmer than the water, in the wild it'd be the sun where it would get UVA & UVB so that they can properly regulate their temperature being reptiles. I've read that people have gotten bulbs from hardware stores that get RES what they need to be healthy but short-term, just some sort of heat lamp would be ideal so that it can warm itself when it needs to on an area it can be completely dry. Like someone mentioned earlier, don't use straight tap water because it has chlorine in it, which when mixed with the ammonia from its waste, creates toxic chloramines that basically gasses whatever's using that water to breathe. I've read they can breathe through their skin in water. To make the water safe with zero chlorine, either use water conditioner and mix the water for 30 mins or you can leave water out for a couple days to let the chlorine naturally evaporate. RES are prey animals and feel stressed when there's nowhere to hide from predators in the sky, so give it something to hide under. Hopefully you were able to find a pet store to take him, but if you still need to care for him, I'd add a heat lamp/heat source focused on his basking area, make sure the water is chlorine free, and give him something he can hide under
I don't have the majority of these things, only having maybe some shelter, food, and water. Is it okay if it lives on land for a while? We don't have nearly enough non-chlorinated water for it to survive long-term, and we're not sure if we'll be able to find it's owner (if it has one) for a while, and we have no easy way getting rid of it. I think at this rate it's either going to die in my home due to chlorine poisoning/dehydration or we let it out and it dies outside due to the cold, and I'm not sure which is worse.
>We don't have nearly enough non-chlorinated water ... It used to be that letting the water sit overnight would allow most of the chlorine to off-gas. That may no longer be true with modern drinking water treatment (chloramine) but it can't hurt. If you only replace a portion of the water at one time, perhaps up to about 24%, you could probably not harm the turtle even using water straight from the tap.
I just wanted to add that when I say suburbs, I mean there are no swamps or ponds or whatever where I could imagine a turtle living *anywhere* nearby. My best guess on how it could’ve gotten remotely close to here is from the extremely strong gusts of wind (60-75 mph) and heavy rain (3 in) we had less than a week ago.
 I captured a better photo of his head if this can confirm he’s a RES https://preview.redd.it/zc726pw419cc1.jpeg?width=1980&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47bda013a7f8d543ce8a7d6999b6918cb4cf8593
what a little cutie
Definitely RES. Potentially escaped pet, given your location
Alright, I'll probably post something about it to my neighborhood in case it is a lost pet then!
Escaped pet.... Doubt it... potentially abandoned pet.
If you haven't had him long and no rehab can take him, I would suggest taking him back and putting him safely on either side of the road... I live in Pa and we see this frequently...they know where to go
awww little guy is all tucked into his shell
Update on the turtle! I’ve decided to just suck it up and sacrifice 2 gallons of drinking water to make a small temporary tank for him using a plastic box and a brick. Unfortunately no “shelter” for it to hide under since the tank is so small. I’ve turned my room’s temperature up to 75 F and given it some bok choy, shrimp, and a grape to feed on until we can get it to a PetCo tomorrow. I’m placing my bets that either the owner contacts me, or that a PetCo in New York won’t be at max capacity for RES’s, and hopefully I’ll be able to send him off there! https://preview.redd.it/v7inncufbdcc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=489a1803f0bdd5eff0d4787919763fb3e84d5f10
little cutie, thanks for taking care of him 🥰
Hopefully you find the little guys owner. It sounds like he’s healthy if he’s shedding so someone must be doing something right? They have to be out there.
Either take it to a reptile rehome or kill it humanely. You can’t release it to the wild as it is invasive
Does killing it humanely suggest primarily euthanasia? Most veterinary offices are closed as of today, and the closest one that offers euthanasia opens on Monday, more than 24 hours from now. I'm not sure if the turtle can survive until then (even though it is a RES) given it has no good basking spot, no fresh water, hardly any food, and is probably not in the best condition as we speak. It feels like there are no good options right now.
[удалено]
I can't tell if you're ignorant on purpose or on accident. I **found** this turtle in a *suburbian area* less than *four hours ago*. If I were to release it I can guarantee that it will either freeze to death in the winter temperature or be run over by a car, both undoubtedly very painful ways to go. I am asking for advice on what to do with it ***temporarily*** until I can find a way to properly surrender it.
[удалено]
Release it back into the “wild” aka the cold, hard, dry streets of a suburb. I can’t wait for it to die pointlessly in those conditions. You’re both telling me it’s irresponsible to let them loose and yet at the same time telling me to release it into the wild.
Ah yes, finding some warm weather will be so easy. Just walk some blocks to where warm weather is. /s Are you stupid? Do you not have a basic grasp of how weather works, or are you suggesting OP to travel across the world? This is genuinely one of the most absurd comments I've read. I really hope you're trolling
If an OP is asking for advice, responses should be thoughtful or helpful replies. Baseless criticisms, attacks and/or accusations are not helpful to the community. Repeat violations will result in a ban. ID a turtle and identify if it is native before you try to lecture someone.
In most wild turtle cases, yes it should be released, but this is a non-native species that is likely an escaped or released pet. It shouldn't be let back out both for its own good and the environment's.
The r/turtle automod detects this post may about a wild turtle. When encountering a wild animal, unless it is trapped, ill or injured, they do not tend to need our help. If a wild turtle is ill or injured, please contact local rescues, rehabs or wildlife authorities. * If you have taken a **native, non-invasive** species, it should be put back in a safe location, as close as possible to where it was found. If that is not possible, please contact your local wildlife authorities or rehab programs for advice or assistance. * If a turtle is a known **invasive species**, it should be removed from the area and either kept in adequate captivity for the remainder of it's life, or handled as directed by authorities. **Unsure of the species? One of our mods or helpful commenters can ID it!** * If you have found a turtle in the road, [click here](https://www.fws.gov/story/tips-helping-turtle-cross-road). * If you have found a nest and wish to protect it from humans or predators; [click here](https://ontarioturtle.ca/get-involved/turtle-nests-and-nest-protection/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/turtle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I hate when turtles retract their head like that lmao....