How old is my baby painted turtle

Snapping turtles, painted turtles, softshell turtles — it is so fun getting to see these truly unique creatures. We see many types of turtles roaming around northwest Iowa in the summertime, especially painted turtles and snapping turtles. Where do they all go? Painted turtles and snapping turtles spend their winters in lakes or ponds, living beneath the ice the forms.

They survive because of a Read More ». Otherwise, you can use your imagination and make your own distinctive turtle! Make it pink. Make it sparkly. Make it your own. First, start off by printing off the free turtle finger puppet template onto Read More ». Some people in Florida released tortoise hatchlings into the ocean.

Shells, claws and tails — turtles can seem confusingly similar. However, if you know a few key differences to look for, you can soon confidently identify some common turtle species in Iowa. Teddy — named after conservationist former President Theodore Roosevelt — is an ornate box turtle. That means he is an omnivore and will eat both plants and animals, just like humans! See naturalist Ashley Hansen feed Teddy and learn what his favorite foods are in this video!

You can also see more Teddy videos on Read More ». Jessica have any of your turtles laid eggs? I have an Eastern, found in our driveway after a recent hail storm.

Last night she laid a single egg in her pool of water. Do you have any knowledge you can pass on to me or know of anyone that does? Please and thank you! Not Helpful 33 Helpful Salmonella is a bacterial disease commonly found on reptiles, birds, and raw meat. It can make people very sick, and often the symptoms are vomiting and nausea. It is most dangerous for small children. Not Helpful 23 Helpful If they did not swallow it, they should be fine, otherwise, call the vet.

Paper is dangerous for the tortoise swallow, and it's worse if it's plastic money. Not Helpful 26 Helpful The smallest, easiest to take care of, and the most popular small pet turtle would be the musk or mud turtle. They get to be inches cm max. Not Helpful 24 Helpful That means your turtle is roughly 6 years old. Remember that this method is not that accurate. Not Helpful 16 Helpful You can't know unless you get salmonella, which is not a good test. It is natural in the turtle's digestive system.

Salmonella isn't a problem unless you have it, and you can't really get rid of it either. Be sure to practice proper hygiene, such as always washing your hands before and after handling your turtle and keep its home space clean. Yes, but make sure it is warm and the area has a fence so it won't wander off. Also, make sure there are no poisonous plants or other harmful weeds.

Not Helpful 22 Helpful It's almost impossible. You might want to ask a vet or check at the pet store or shelter you bought the turtle from to see if they have any records. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. A poor quality shell can make a turtle look older than it actually is.

For example, a turtle that had poor nutrition for several years might develop a rough, bumpy shell, giving a false impression of its age. Helpful 8 Not Helpful 2. The age of a turtle is hard to measure once they're over the age of 5. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Related wikiHows How to.

How to. Expert Interview. About this article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: 4. Updated: October 21, Article Summary X To tell a turtle's age, start by counting the number of rings inside one of the scales on the turtle's shell. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. Our adopters shelled family members, benefit greatly from accurate information! More reader stories Hide reader stories.

In this article, I am going to explain how to tell the age of a turtle. Otherwise, unfortunately, you can only guess the age of a turtle. There are basically two methods to guess the age of a turtle. Generally, the rings only develop in times of proper feeding and scarcity of food. In other words, the rings can form when the turtle was properly fed or seriously famished, not only during summer and winter.

In this method, we measure the size of the turtle to get a rough estimate of its age. Some turtles, especially in the wild, show some visual signs of aging. In wild, the carapace of older turtles is more worn and torn.

The carapace can also have dents and chips. While the plastron can be smooth, there can be scars on the head and legs. Such signs tell that a turtle has reached its matured age, which is approximately 10 to 20 years old. These signs are not prominent in captive bred turtles, as the shells of captive-bred turtles do not sustain injuries like wild turtles. Also, some turtles start to get darker as their age increases. Giving too much priority on the condition of the shell to determine the age is not recommended.