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pained turtle

22 16:02:42

Question
hi,i have a painted turtle i feed her (female)(i named her carmin)oranges,apples and lettce, is that bad and, i think shes pregnate(i have no idea how old she is sorry), shes pooping alot and, not eating and, i even feel a few lomps/bumps near her back leg, she hides her tail under her shell.what does this mean?she gets id say preety good sun lighting and heat.how long does it take for pained turtle eggs to form.how do u tell if your turtle has been digging.i let her go for a daily walk about 30-35 minits every day i come home from school at 3:00 p.m and,i cheAK ON HER every day/morning at 7:00 am (im in fourth grade)i take the lid off deppending on the wheather cold/67% and below lid on hot/70% and up lid off!thank you!i hope u can answer

Answer
Hi Kayleigh,

I'm afraid you're giving your turtle a very poor diet, and the issues she's having are more likely to be related to poor diet and improper care than being gravid (carrying eggs).  A female needs to be about 6" to lay eggs.  It's possible she has eggs (females can have eggs without a male around, but they wouldn't be fertile), but also possible she has something else going on.  If she continues to not eat, becomes lethargic, or shows other symptoms you should take her to a good herp vet.  

She needs to be provided with a roomy tank with plenty of swimming room, a good filtration system, proper basking/water temperatures, a good source of UVB, and a good varied diet.  Painted turtles are omnivores, so she needs to be offered both greens and animal protein.  The more variety you can offer, the better.  I'm going to attach some links for you (and a parent) to read over so you can make any changes necessary.  Pay special attention to the information on diet so you can feed her properly.  

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-eastern_painted.htm  
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/waterquality.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/housing.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/emergencies.htm