[DoberMom]

I rescued this little guy from a tiny one gallon bowl. Thing is, I have no idea what kind of turtle he is. I took him to the reptile store but was told to bring him back on Friday when the owner would be in so he could take a guess. What do you guys think? Right now he's in a ten gallon and we're calling him Donatello

 

[LebronTheBetta]

I think that is a Box Turtle. I am not sure,though. Are the eyes red? Male Box turtles have red eyes.

 

[Pitluvs]

I have no idea, what about a yellow eared slider? Looks like the one my friend used to have.

 

[Leeniex]

Musk turtle maybe?

 

[DoberMom]

It's definately an aquatic or semi-aquatic but I have no idea what kind :/

 

[sparkyjoe]

What does the bottom of his shell look like?

 

[sparkyjoe]

Could it be a Sonoran Mud Turtle?

http://www.californiaherps.com/turtles/pages/k.s.sonoriense.html

 

[Laki]

I think it's definitely some kind of mud turtle. It's certainly not a slider, they have a more streamlined shell.

 

[DoberMom]

I didn't think about taking a picture of the bottom of him... I will do so tonight. When I had taken him to the reptile store, the newbie of an employee guessed either mud turtle or snapping turtle. I'll post the picture of his underside later tonight. I just want to know what the best way to take care of him is. Like, does he need deeper or shallow water, what kind of bulb do I need for him, do I need a heater for the water as well, how do I control humidity, is a glass top or a screen top better, what does he eat, what live foods would he like? That kind of thing. I am a total noob.

 

[Laki]

Well, when you know what kind of turtle you have you can look up his needs. Sorry I can't help you because I had red eared sliders for years and only know about them. Good luck though He's cute. I think he looks young but that's me.

 

[Leeniex]

He's adorable. I've been dying for a turtle but if I ever came home with one my husband would throw me out, lol.

 

[DoberMom]

Lol yeah my bf keeps telling me he doesn't want a petting zoo when we get married. My dad is about to throw me out as it is but I just HAD to rescue the little guy.

 

[DoberMom]

This is Donatello's underbelly

 

[FishyFishy89]

awh!!!!
hes so tiny!!
He looked twice his size in the 1st photos. But now that I have a hand/fingers to compare his size to.....he is epically adorable.
He looks like your average snapping turtle to me. I tried to save an alligator snapping turtle from a busy BUSY road way in my town. Jerk swayed and crushed the turtle's left hind leg. I was pissed and so heart broken for him.
I dropped him off at my vet whom was down the street. Last I heard is they fixed his leg, are working on piecing his shell and he'd go into "rehab".

 

[DoberMom]

Aww... that poor turtle. I will be taking him to someone who is supposed to know a good deal about turtles tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find out what he really is so that I can provide the best care for him.

 

[Olympia]

He does look young.
I'm going to have to say mud turtle, I've caught a lot of snappers and he looks nothing like one. They're total jerks and I'm sure you'd figure it out soon if he was a snapper. He doesn't have the beak. His tail is longer, but snappers don't have flat shells like that.
The good news is that mud turtles are on the smaller range and easier to care for. All turtles are a challenge, but he should be easier than a slider.
You're going to have to pick up a basking lamp, and a full spectrum UVA/UVB light. Some people say only UVB, but a full spectrum would be better for him, note that some bulbs say full spectrum but only provide one of the two, so look for one that says it has both UVA and UVB.
For starters, romaine lettuce and earthworms are a good feeding start. Different species have different plant or animal preferences so that's something to look into.
You're going to want to pick up a high calcium turtle vitamin supplement. The calcium and the full spectrum light are crucial to keeping his shell from becoming sick and deformed.
A good solution to the tank issue is one of those huge rubbermaids, they usually provide enough space.
Does he look and act healthy? If his shell is firm, with no visible injuries, then you should provide him with enough water to swim and a land source that he can get up easily.

 

[alphaandbree]

I would guess a Mud Turtle , I have to agree with the other posts, hes not a slider, due to the shell. I have a red eared slider and well that doesn't look like one, not even yellow eared. I have no idea.

 

[FishyFishy89]

He does look young.
I'm going to have to say mud turtle, I've caught a lot of snappers and he looks nothing like one. They're total jerks and I'm sure you'd figure it out soon if he was a snapper. He doesn't have the beak. His tail is longer, but snappers don't have flat shells like that.
The good news is that mud turtles are on the smaller range and easier to care for. All turtles are a challenge, but he should be easier than a slider.
You're going to have to pick up a basking lamp, and a full spectrum UVA/UVB light. Some people say only UVB, but a full spectrum would be better for him, note that some bulbs say full spectrum but only provide one of the two, so look for one that says it has both UVA and UVB.
For starters, romaine lettuce and earthworms are a good feeding start. Different species have different plant or animal preferences so that's something to look into.
You're going to want to pick up a high calcium turtle vitamin supplement. The calcium and the full spectrum light are crucial to keeping his shell from becoming sick and deformed.
A good solution to the tank issue is one of those huge rubbermaids, they usually provide enough space.
Does he look and act healthy? If his shell is firm, with no visible injuries, then you should provide him with enough water to swim and a land source that he can get up easily.

Great/helpful advice

 

[ZackyBear]

Very cute.

 

[DoberMom]

Yes, thanks for the advice. I'm going to be going to a local reptile store today to pick up what he needs. Yay!