This lady I work with found this little guy on her doorstep when she came home one day. She gave it to me to raise in my tank until it grew big enough to put in her pond. It was about the size of a half dollar. It has since grown to about the size of a silver dollar. She called me today and says she misses the turtle so much that she bought an aquarium for him and has it all set up and she wants him back. I am going to see what she has set up for him and I would like to be able to tell her that she needs to purchase a uvb bulb if that is necessary for this little guy. I know it can't be a bad thing so I've been using one. I think he is a baby yellow-bellied cooter but I would like a second or third or forth opinion before I go printing the wrong care sheets off for her. Well, here are the pics, aw man! Photobucket is doing some site maintence. Oh well, here is one picture for now. Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks.

Cute little guy!
I'm not turtle expert so I will leave the ID to them.
However you are correct. A UVB light is a necessity.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Looks like a common river cooter. We have sent a link that may help you ID the turtle. Really hard to tell from one picture.


http://www.empireoftheturtle.com/floridaTurtle.htm

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Looks like a Pseudemys nelsoni, or a Florida red-bellied turtle. sometimes called a red bellied slider

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Ken
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan

yep you got a good old cooter.

Okay, photobucket is back up so I can now post some more pics. Here they are.

yep,,,Florida red bellied

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Ken
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan

Im not sure what he is but hes a cutie

he's so adorable!! i hope he lives a long happy life. glad you'll be printing out care sheets for her.

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yes i am a she ^_^

~My Babies~

1 Rosy Boa (male) Chaos
1 Snow Corn (male) Blizzard
1 Anertherystic Corn (male) Bullet
1 Senegal Parrot (male) Shadow
2 dogs (male) Spot and Bear

Pseudemys floridana floridana

Florida Cooter

Florida distribution: northern part of state including panhandle.

Identification: up to 38 cm.

Light centered ocelli on underside of marginals.

Did you go to the website we told you about, there it will show the cooter and then you will have a good idea on providing a care sheet.

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