HELP WITH HARRY

Question
I live in Scotland & bought a "chinese soft shelled turtle" so i was told.I was also told it would grow to about 2 inches & would be perfectly safe with my tropical fish & to feed it fish food & bloodworms occasionally.I have since heard from some one else that it could grow to 10 inches & will need to be fed fish,small rodents.I now have no idea if the turtle i have is what i was told i got.Unfortunately i cant send pics at the moment but he has the soft leathery shell, is about 3-4 inches, about 3 months old, has a bright red/orange belly, snout like nose, very timid & hides under the gravel if you approach the tank.Iv tried finding info but every where seems to suggest he should have a white belly.Im calling him he(Harry) but i actually dont know what sex he is.Please help me identify him so i can care for him properly.Thanks very much, this website is genius!!!!

Answer
Hi Alana,

It definately sounds like a soft-shelled turtle, but without pics I can't say for sure what kind of soft-shelled turtle it is, which means I'm not sure how big he can get.

I am cutting and pasting a paragraph on his diet:

In the wild, softshells feed primarily on invertebrates and crayfish, sometimes found scavenging on fish, as well as a variety of aquatic vegetation. Some larger species snag ducks and other small aquatic birds by grabbing them from below. Other species may feed on frogs, tadpoles, mudpuppies, snails, molluscs, and worms. In captivity, they can be fed on meats (cook chicken first!.  An assortment of feeder fish and invertebrates may be offered as well.

Anyway, I don't think you have to feed him small rodents.  I doubt they eat much of that in the wild, and I'd hate to see the mice suffer when they aren't even part of the natural diet.

I would try to purchase some of his natural foods online, or in a store (crayfish, fresh-water shrimp, snails, worms) so he can have a variety.  

I would definately seperate your turtle and your fish.  Soft-shell turtles aren't tropical... so they shouldn't live in salt-water or warm water.  They live in fresh-water in the wild.  Also, I'd be very surprised if he never ate your fish.

Here is a link to info about chinese soft-shelled turtles

http://www.chelydra.org/trionyx_sinensis.html

Sorry, I don't know anything about sexing soft-shelled turtles.

Thanks for your question,
Amanda