red eared slider turtle

Question
hi. i just bought a red eared slider turtle yesterday and realized it only has 2 front legs and 1 back leg that has no claws. it is alone in the tank and looks very young. i dont know what to do.

Answer
Hi Natalia,

Turtles can get along just fine with only three legs if they're otherwise healthy.  The bigger problem is that it may have come from an unhealthy environment or an unscrupulous dealer that wasn't paying enough attention to notice the missing leg (or didn't care).  So keep a close eye on it to make sure it's eating, active, and growing well.

You didn't say how old/big the turtle is, but a hatchling is very small--about 2" in length--and bright green.  The green dulls as they grow.  A mature RES can reach about 8" for males and 12" for females, so they require very large tanks.  A hatchling can live in a 20-30 gallon tank for a year or two, but after that you should upgrade to an adult size tank (minimum of 100 gallons for a male, larger for a female).  You should have a very good filter rated for higher than the tank's capacity, because good water quality is vital to a turtle's health.  You also need a basking spot and a source of UVB, along with a good, varied diet that includes animal protein, pellets, and greens.

I'm going to link care information for you below.  The sites are very detailed and will help you, but it's important that you follow the information so your turtle has the best care possible.

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/Care/housing.htm