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Baby snaping turtle

22 16:01:27

Question
I have this baby snaping turtle but I don't know what kind but I never seen it bite me or try and it not eating anything I give him.... I found small crawfish and it just siting there... It moves alot but never eats. What should I do or give him something to eat??? Please I will do anything for my snaping turtle

Answer
Hi Julio,

If you found this snapping turtle you should return it to where you found it.  Wild turtles belong in the wild.  If you bought it, then you need to make sure you have it set up correctly.  Snapping turtles ARE NOT BEGINNER TURTLES, so if this is your first turtle you have your work cut out for you.

Snapping turtles get big, and you need a large tank.  For a hatchling, I would get at least a 50 gallon tank so it has some room to grow into it, with a good filter.  At maturity, you will need a VERY big tank (200 gallons) or pond for this turtle, with increased filtration.  You also need a basking area that provides heat as well as UVB. I'll link some care information below that will give you specifics on temperature, etc.  If there isn't a basking area, your turtle will be too cool and won't eat.  

Diet can range from boiled chicken to worms to guppies, etc.  You can include pellets in the diet, but fresh meat should also be offered regularly, and as much variety as possible.

These links will give you plenty of information on housing, water quality, diet, etc.  Just be aware that a large tank with excellent filtration is extremely important for the health of your turtle, and it will make things easier for you, too.  

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-commonsnapper.htm
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/chelydracare.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