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What kind of Turtles do I have?

22 15:56:53

Question
Turtles
Turtles  
We have 18 baby turtles in our pond and we are not sure if they are a snapping or tarrapin's- here is picture of a few them on my duck dock.  I need to know if these little ones can live with my ducks in our pond?

Answer
Hi Rachelle,

It's a little difficult to give an accurate ID based on the picture, but they look like sliders--if you see a red stripe behind the eye, they're red-eared sliders, if not, more likely to be yellow-bellied sliders.  And they're definitely not babies, which would be very bright green and very small (maybe 2").  Those are at least juveniles, but I can't say for certain because there's nothing in the picture to compare for size.  An adult would be 5+", although mature females can be up to about 12".  

They're harmless to your ducks, although they will eat smaller fish.  If conditions are right, they'll breed and you may end up with more than you want.  If you find any digging nests, you can always dig up the eggs and destroy them if you find the population is getting out of hand.