Turtle dilemma

Ok guys, we only have a few days to figure this out, so shoot!

A very good friend of mine that I've grown up has 4 sliders (reds and yellows). She has been at college for the last few years, and left the turtles in the care of her mom. Her mom takes great care of them, but she's had melanoma cancer for near 10 years now, and it's really catching up with her, to the point where she's not able to do much of anything, can't hardly get out house, can't drive. Simple day to day things take a lot out of her. She's not got long left, and she's preparing herself and my friend for it.

She's recently decided to donate the turtles to a zoo, and they have agreed totals them, and we are to go up there with her Sunday to do so. My friend has had two of these turtles since before the size ban (got them when they were quarter sized), and the two others were rescues, one handy capped and hatched by them from an egg given to them by a local wildlife center run by family.

That said, I'd hate for my friend to lose her turtles, even ifntheybwill he receiving the best care that a zoo could provide. So, I was wondering... I have two goldfish ponds. The fish are big enough not to be eaten by the turtles. We could fence in pond area, make it more turtle accessible, and keep them until my friend gets a place of her own and can take them back.

They already live outdoors, on a screened in patio in very large kiddy pools. In the winter they get heaters and on very cold nights the heaters are turned up and the pools covered. Obviously, the cost to heat my large ponds makes doing that out of the option, but they can be brought in in large tubs or the like when it's too cold at night for them.

The three largest are 8 or 9 inches long (two females and a male), and the smallest and youngest, Scooter (gimpy back legs from some dumb head disturbing the nest, which is how the wildlife center became involved), is 4 inches. I don't know what gender Scooter is. "He" lives alone, with some tilapia fry for company (they were supposed to minnows, but they soon started getting quite large and breeding and now years later they still haven't gotten rid of them all). The other three live in a larger pool, with no fish.

So, do you guys think this could be done? I haven't run it by anyone yet (my mom, t friend, or her mom), as was just a random thought, and I don't want to get anyone's hopes up by mentioning it, and then it not be able to work out...

Thoughts?

 

I definitely think that could be done, and I think it would be a great gift to your friend. I'd say go for it unless someone else knows of a good reason why you shouldn't, and there may be, but, as long as they are brought inside when it's cold, I don't see a problem here.

 

Each turtle needs at least 10 gallon of water per inch... so a 9 inch female need 90g of water... from what I have read of your ponds you dhoulf be able to fit them inside no problem just be sure to have an area where they are able to bask in the sun/heat source. And personally as long as the fish are larger than turtles you should have no issue with those... this is a really sweet thing your going to do for your friend!

Oh and to tell scooters gender look at the nails... if they are longer then it is a male (always for gripping on the females shell during mating)... I am not sure if it is the same with red ears but with eastern box turtles the females have red eyes... I have a female red ear slider and I haven't bothered to see what color her eyes are... she is about 5" currently housed in a 29 gallon for the winter (I know bad but its all I had)

 

Go for it. Your friend would probably love that she would be able to keep her turtles and the turtles would probably love your pond.

 

Do you happen to know if your friend's mom has decided to donate the turtles to the zoo only because she can no longer take care of them, or was she also hoping to do this out of charity? Did the zoo just agree to take them or are they eager and excited to have these turtles? If I were you, I would make sure that your proposal does not upset someone (either your friend's mom if this is a charitable donation or the zoo if they are really eager to receive these turtles), after all the agreement was already reached and a change of plans may or may not be welcome.

 

Each turtle needs at least 10 gallon of water per inch... so a 9 inch female need 90g of water... from what I have read of your ponds you dhoulf be able to fit them inside no problem just be sure to have an area where they are able to bask in the sun/heat source. And personally as long as the fish are larger than turtles you should have no issue with those... this is a really sweet thing your going to do for your friend!

Oh and to tell scooters gender look at the nails... if they are longer then it is a male (always for gripping on the females shell during mating)... I am not sure if it is the same with red ears but with eastern box turtles the females have red eyes... I have a female red ear slider and I haven't bothered to see what color her eyes are... she is about 5" currently housed in a 29 gallon for the winter (I know bad but its all I had)

I've got about 215 gallons worth of pond. It's Florida, so they'll have plenty of heat and basking lol

I don't see them very often, so I'm not able to look at Scooter to see what he actually is lol

Do you happen to know if your friend's mom has decided to donate the turtles to the zoo only because she can no longer take care of them, or was she also hoping to do this out of charity? Did the zoo just agree to take them or are they eager and excited to have these turtles? If I were you, I would make sure that your proposal does not upset someone (either your friend's mom if this is a charitable donation or the zoo if they are really eager to receive these turtles), after all the agreement was already reached and a change of plans may or may not be welcome.

she's donating them because she can't physically care for them any more. I don't know any details other than that. Like I said, I wanted to make sure this was something that could be done before talking to anyone about it. I don't want to step on any toes or upset my friend or her mom.