about my turtle

Question
QUESTION: hi im alexis i have recently got a red eared slider when i already had a male i think that this one is a female but im not sure i need to know how old she is and if she is a female i also think she is pregnate if shes a girl because shes been sleping alot and not eating but the male has been eating she has also been spending alot of time on a peace of land thats in the tank can anybody help me

ANSWER: Pictures would help, but Red-ear Sliders are not sexually mature until their shell is about 4" long and they are about 4 years old.

What is more likely in this situation is that they are a little crowded and stressed and the one turtle is taking all the good places in the tank.

We always want to aim for bout 10 gallons of water space per inch of turtle. If your turtles are a total of about 4" long,they should be in about 40 gallons of water, or a mostly filled 50 gallon tank. This gives them plenty of room.

You can learn more about these turtles and their correct cares at http://www.redearslider.com or http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Good luck!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok thnks well i have a 20 gallon tanke my male turtle is a little bigger than my female my female is like 4 in and my male is about 4 and a half but do u have any clue how to tell if my female is pregnate shes not been eating and aways sleaping loves the land and shes the one thats been taking alot of the tank space but my male is as happy as can be

Answer
Ah, the joys of answering questions without all the pertinent facts!

OK, with 2 4" turtles, your pets are seriously crowded and stressed in a 20 gallon tank- they should be in at least 80 gallons of water.

You say the male is happy- but the signs of happiness in mammals and the signs of happiness in turtles are very different. For example, turtles do not smile or wag their tails to indicate happiness. A happy turtle is resting stretched out in the sunshine.

A non-eating turtle is stressed and unhappy as well. Females with eggs will behave normally right up to nesting time. The water may be too warm or cool for her tastes, and she may be hogging the good basking sites from the male.

The only way to tell if a female is carrying eggs is to either X-ray it, or, when the eggs are nearly ready to be laid, you can often feel them bulging out beside the legs under the shell near the tail.

To determine sex in the turtles, look at the front claws. The front claws of a sexually mature male are very long, while the female's are short.

You can also look at the belly curve (in for a male, out for a female) or the tail (long with vent in the middle for male, short with vent at the base for female.)

None of these techniques work if they are not yet sexually mature, however.



I think your turtle MAY be carrying eggs, but is more likely just stressed, as is the male. Check out the sites mentioned earlier and see how your cares, housing, and diet measure up so you can adjust things if needed.

Good luck!