is my turtle going to die?

Question
hello, I got two baby tropical turtles from my aunt today and when she was giving the tank to me, she dropped it and the turtles fell out. one of the turtles won't come out of its shell not even if i put it in the water, it won't open its eyes,but I know its still alive because it's kind of moving its head in and out of its shell alittle and very slowy. please help!

Answer
Hi Lacy,

You should remove that turtle from the tank until you know it has recovered.  Put it in a box with a towel so it can burrow in a little and feel safe, then set a lamp over part of the box to give it a warm area.  If it hasn't been too badly injured it will probably be much better by tomorrow.  If it's still inactive and lethargic, all you can really do is wait and see.  It's unlikely there's much a vet would be able to do with a hatchling because they're so small.  If it needs to stay out of the tank for more than a day, give it a soak in shallow, lukewarm water once a day to keep it hydrated.

Make sure your turtles have plenty of room (for hatchlings, that means at least a 20 gallon tank, but 30-40 gallons is better because they grow quickly) and very good filtration.  I'm guessing your turtles are red-eared sliders because those are the most common in the pet trade (they're not tropical, though, but native to the U.S.), so I'm linking some care information below.  If you have another species, post back and I'll get more specific information for you.

http://www.redearslider.com
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/waterquality.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/filtration.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/housing.htm