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i want terrapins help i do not know any: |
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emma Member Joined: 19 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 3  View other posts by emma |
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 i want terrapins do they need a heater can they live on there own what size ar adults how long to they live for do they live in water can you pick them up from they questions you can tell i do not know any thing can anyone answer my qs please thanks |
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emma Member Joined: 19 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 3 View other posts by emma |
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 oh & what size should the tank be  |
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emma Member Joined: 19 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 3 View other posts by emma |
Posted: 19 Jan 2006 any1   |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 20 Jan 2006 Hi Emma, this isn't a pet orientated forum, give this one a try http://www.livefoodshop.co.uk/forum/
But briefly, yes they do need a heater, yes you can pick them up if you know how, but they can give a nasty nip. Most species of terrapin are semi-aquatic needing both water and a land area. You will also need some sort of powerful filter or you will be cleaning thier tank every day. Try the livefood forum, there are plenty of people who keep terrapins on there. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Mick Member Joined: 10 Jun 2005 No. of posts: 184 View other posts by Mick |
Posted: 20 Jan 2006 Glad that Gemma tried to help you, Emma, because all i really knew about Terrapins was that - as nice as they might be - if you didn't clean their tank very regularly & thoroughly (hence Gemma's advice that you'll require a powerful aquatic filter) then they can pong to high heaven! Mick. |
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Mike Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 74  View other posts by Mike |
Posted: 20 Jan 2006 I thought they were not actually for sale any more. A good sized tank would be needed as that 50p sized baby will grow to between 9-15 inches across and weigh a good few pounds. They can live to around 50 years old but our weather tends to kill them off sooner, and that baby if miss-identified could turn out to be an Alligator Snapper, then you really are in trouble, they WILL have your finger off. The Sumo Wrestler of the Terrapin world, there has been one in one of our local ponds. I would advise not getting a Terrapin, cute to begin with but a pain to keep when they get bigger. Brickfields Park FREE 25th Anniversary Funday, 4th July 2010. Wildlife, Farm Animals, games, quizzes, refreshments and more. Fun for all. See - http://www.brickfieldspark.org/dates.htm |
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Mick Member Joined: 10 Jun 2005 No. of posts: 184 View other posts by Mick |
Posted: 20 Jan 2006 Just a mile or two from me there's a Terrapin that's happily lived for several years in a village duck pond. I check out the pond every year & as it's thankfully just the one, solitary Terrapin in there, it doesn't ever appear to have affected anything much. I still see toads & Grass snakes passin' through there unbothered. Fortunately there's plenty of fish in there for his, or her, appetite. However, UNfortunately, nextdoor to that village there's an abbey with a series of ponds & lakes where there's meant to be a big snapper lurking! The head gardener of the abbey has worked there for donkeys years & certainly knows his wildlife & he swears he knows it's a snapper & describes it as much bigger than the average sized, ordinary Terrapin known of in the village duck pond! Those ponds & lakes are collectively a major spawning site for toads & frogs - especially toads - & there's a great Grass snake population there as well. |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 23 Jan 2006
Well mick the red eared sliders are not offered for sale anymore apart of the the oversized ones which come back to the shops - instead there are several species which have taken the place of the red eared sliders - yellow bellied sliders, map turtles, florida soft shells, and any other species which isnt a red eared are now offered for sale - all start off the size of a 50p piece but they do grow to large sizes - It may be best not to buy a terrapin at all and maybe look for an animal which needs a new home from the re homing centres etc I would suspect that the lack of knowledge would hinder your chances of getting one from these centres - thus you would be tempted to go to a pet shop who would be more than happy to sell you a terrapin with the bare minimum equipment to keep your pet alive for a few months - basically really think hard about the reasons why you should and shouldnt get such an animal....it is up to you
Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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djp_phillips Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 180 View other posts by djp_phillips |
Posted: 30 Jan 2006 Terrapins will smell (if kept in a tank) Reptiles & Amphibians of France: www.herpfrance.com European Field Herping Community: www.euroherp.com |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 Actually they don't if you use a powerful filter such as those produced by eheim.. we have one living in our dinning room. Not that I'm advocating keeping them, this one was removed from the wild in the UK, as I felt sorry for it I decided to take it on. They are a lot of work though and cleaning the filter is a smelly job. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Dan Kane Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2005 No. of posts: 201  View other posts by Dan Kane |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 What was it Gemma, a Red-eared Slider or a Red-bellied Slider, or any other type? Dan www.randacumbria.moonfruit.com |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 It's a yellow bellied slider. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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djp_phillips Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 180 View other posts by djp_phillips |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 Yellow bellied slider.... they're from the Americas... is that correct? Reptiles & Amphibians of France: www.herpfrance.com European Field Herping Community: www.euroherp.com |
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Dan Kane Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2005 No. of posts: 201 View other posts by Dan Kane |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 Yes, all of the sliders that I know of are native to the Americas. Dan www.randacumbria.moonfruit.com |
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djp_phillips Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 180 View other posts by djp_phillips |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 yes but the red eared terrapin is one of those... They live here although not naturally Reptiles & Amphibians of France: www.herpfrance.com European Field Herping Community: www.euroherp.com |
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Dan Kane Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2005 No. of posts: 201 View other posts by Dan Kane |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 I saw one in a town near Dicamano, in Tuscany, in a lake (man made), floating on the surface, but them it dived down to the bottom, must've spotted me... Dan www.randacumbria.moonfruit.com |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 Originally from the Americas yes, but this one had survived in a small duck pond in Totteridge for some time, possibly over-wintering in the mud. There are many reports of various slider species persisting in the wild in the UK and I believe at least one verified report of breeding, though this only appears to have occurred due to the presence of artificially heated hides provided for birds. IÆve seen them in many ponds and lakes across the UK where less than conscientious pet keepers have dumped them. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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djp_phillips Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 180 View other posts by djp_phillips |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 people just put them into pond when they are board... they are silly, shouldn't be allowed to keep them Reptiles & Amphibians of France: www.herpfrance.com European Field Herping Community: www.euroherp.com |
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Dan Kane Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2005 No. of posts: 201 View other posts by Dan Kane |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 Yeah, it was a full grown adult, 30cm long, large claws, long-ish tail. I think it was a male... Dan www.randacumbria.moonfruit.com |
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djp_phillips Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 No. of posts: 180 View other posts by djp_phillips |
Posted: 31 Jan 2006 how do you tell without touching them? Reptiles & Amphibians of France: www.herpfrance.com European Field Herping Community: www.euroherp.com |
- i want terrapins help i do not know any |
Personally, for various reasons, i wouldn't advise you getting a Terrapin yet, & i hope you realise just how many years you might be looking after one, if you do get one...They're rather long lived creatures! 