Turtle Help Needed ASAP?

[abigayle2996]

I don't know of anywhere else to ask this but here, as this is the only forum I'm a part of. I'm hoping someone with a bit more turtle experience than me can help answer a question about one of my baby Red Eared Sliders.

So, my smallest Red Eared Slider turtle - he's just barely over an inch from the front of his shell to the back of his shell - hasn't eaten since I got him a few weeks ago. His brother and their tank mate eat like pigs, and they seem to be handling wintertime just fine.

The water in the tank remains a constant 78 degrees, and they get sunlight daily, as they are near a window. (The window is brand new and there is no draft)

Today I came home to find the smallest turtle being pushed around the tank by the currents from the filter, but not trying to swim anywhere. He's been in the water maybe 3 times since we got him, and he spends the rest of his time on the turtle dock sleeping. I've tried to feed him various things but he just wants to sleep. At the moment, I can't tell if he's dead, because his limbs and head seem a bit more floppy than usual when he's sleeping.

So my question is this:

Is it possible that he is trying to hibernate, even though it's warm in my house and his brother and our other turtle seem to have no interest in sleeping at all? Or should I accept the fact that my little man is dead? I just don't want to go about getting rid of the little guy only to find out he decided it was prime time for hibernating. I'm just confused because nobody else seems to be sleepy like he is.

 

[MarkmD]

I'm no expert in turtles, personally i would take him out an examine him all over to see if thairs any infections/signs of life, if the others are playing about with him it's probably an indicator that somethings wrong.

 

[RzezniksRunAway]

I wouldn't think hibernation if the others are doing well. Turtles do need basking spots out of the water and UVB as well, more than what is coming in through the window. I'd isolate him in a small, warm tank, damp paper towels but no water. See if he perks up by being warmer and not swimming. It's hard to tell if a reptile is actually dead sometimes, when I have my doubts I leave the animal in an ICU overnight, it's usually fairly obvious one way or the other the next day.


http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/trachemyscare.htm

 

[abigayle2996]

The other turtles aren't really playing with him, just playing around him/ignoring him. I put him inside a small container, which I placed inside another container of warm water (so that the water could warm him up without him being in the water) and put him under a light. It's an artist's lamp, though, so it's sort of supposed to replicate natural lighting and doesn't get super warm like normal lamps would. Unfortunately, it's all I've got. Not sure how that will effect him or help him. I found no signs of injury or infections.

I had my doubts about the breeder him and his brother came from from the day we got him - they had a seemingly random assortment of other animals in addition to about 20 baby turtles in a plastic storage bin full of cold water - and when I got them home and examined them, they weren't in great shape. Both of them have dry shells, and it looks like the top layer of shell is peeling off in some places. I've been using Tetra Shell Conditioner on both of them weekly to try and help their shells out, but it hasn't gotten much better yet. I should've trusted my gut and not bought from the guy - he sold this particular little guy to me as a map turtle, made me pay more, and then I got home and realized they were both actually RES babies and he'd mixed up his own turtle hatchlings. I am overall very unhappy with the guy. He was very friendly, but looking back, he did not know anything about what he was selling me.

I just hope my little guy is okay This winter has already stolen an entire litter of six baby bunnies from me, and I don't want to lose another pet.

 

[RzezniksRunAway]

I don't think a lot of people actually breed the baby RES they're selling, unless they're not your normal morph. Peeling could be them shedding scutes, which they do as they grow, but it could also be an issue. As soon as you can, get UVB light over the other ones and make sure their dock is getting warm enough. They can and do survive cold water, but you run a higher risk of them being nasty salmonella vectors if their immune system is poor from not-quite-right care. UVB also makes sure they don't end up all lumpy.

This is Humphrey, a RES that was a "Store pet" at the pet store I used to work at. He was adopted from an animal rescue like this, and we kept him at the store to show people exactly what the best case scenario was in keeping them improperly. Humphrey was 7 years old according to his previous owner who turned him in. Severe shell deformity is best case scenario.


I hope he's OK too, just keep him warm and comfortable and get a UVB bulb as soon as you can. I'd say take him outside to bask, but it's WAY too cold. Sadly, RES are cheap as dirt to acquire and sell at a profit, so it happens a lot. The best thing you can do is more research and make it a success story in spite of what he told you.

Sorry to hear about the baby bunnies as well, this winter has been brutal in PA. I wouldn't want to be in Michigan. Brr.

 

[JeromeTabuzo]

The other turtles aren't really playing with him, just playing around him/ignoring him. I put him inside a small container, which I placed inside another container of warm water (so that the water could warm him up without him being in the water) and put him under a light. It's an artist's lamp, though, so it's sort of supposed to replicate natural lighting and doesn't get super warm like normal lamps would. Unfortunately, it's all I've got. Not sure how that will effect him or help him. I found no signs of injury or infections.

I had my doubts about the breeder him and his brother came from from the day we got him - they had a seemingly random assortment of other animals in addition to about 20 baby turtles in a plastic storage bin full of cold water - and when I got them home and examined them, they weren't in great shape. Both of them have dry shells, and it looks like the top layer of shell is peeling off in some places. I've been using Tetra Shell Conditioner on both of them weekly to try and help their shells out, but it hasn't gotten much better yet. I should've trusted my gut and not bought from the guy - he sold this particular little guy to me as a map turtle, made me pay more, and then I got home and realized they were both actually RES babies and he'd mixed up his own turtle hatchlings. I am overall very unhappy with the guy. He was very friendly, but looking back, he did not know anything about what he was selling me.

I just hope my little guy is okay This winter has already stolen an entire litter of six baby bunnies from me, and I don't want to lose another pet.

is your turtle floating??

 

[abigayle2996]

He was floating, but the filter was pushing him under every time he got closer to it. That was how he would normally swim, just floating around in the water letting the current push him. Although normally he had all his limbs out, not just his back legs and his head.
Unfortunately, warming him up under a light didn't work. I never got a response and he was stiff when I woke up this morning. I have a feeling he was already dead when I found him, too. Both the other turtles are sitting in what little sun we've got right now, enjoying the mid day "warmth." We're having snow storm number.....what, 6 or 7, right now, and it's supposed to get even worse this week with another big one. Hopefully, I'm heading to the pet store today to get a light and figure out how to rig it up above their tank for them.

 

[RzezniksRunAway]

So sorry. =( You might be able to use a desk lamp with a spiral UVB bulb until you can figure out a better system. The spirals aren't the best bulbs, but they've improved recently. The biggest thing with them is to make sure it's directly overhead and not off to the side to avoid the most eye damage.