Terrapins

There are two terrapins that are not getting looked after properly. If you are a terrapin enthusiast and know how to look after them, post here or contact me via PM, or mobile phone text message to 0968 601041.

The two terrapins are still in need of a bigger and better habitat and better care.

they are red eared sliders, and voracious little buggers that just keep growing… Don’t release them into the wild, for pete’s sake (they are not native to taiwan, though there are thousands of them released out there anyway). As a last resort, they should be put down if you can’t find someone to take them off your hands, in the fridge then the freezer is humane.

They are still with me. I’m worried about the low temperature. Is it OK for them? I really know nothing about terrapin care.


Reference: “Turtles” thread

My red-eared slider has always been fine. It doesn’t get that cold here, not cold enough for them to hibernate, though they will slow down, eat very little and sleep unless you turn the light on.

The terrapins went quiet and lost their appetite over winter, but now with the warmer weather they’re getting livelier and hungrier. I’d still like to see them adopeted by someone who can give them more care and attention than I can.

Just curious, is there a difference between a terrapin and a turtle? What?

funny, you would think that those of you that said you didn’t know about turtle care would realize that you were typing on the computer…hey, wait a minute…COMPUTER, you mean that thing that has almost the entire archive of human knowledge at your fingertips? Wait…wait, an idea is coming to me…um, just a second…nope. Lost it. :secret:

I always mix them up: Turtle, tortoise or terrapin?

Turtles spend most of their life entirely in water. Terrapins spend the majority of their life NEAR water, especially fresh water, and tortoises are land-dwelling.

While I would like to take up the offer on the terrapins, red-ear sliders live extremely long lives and will live probably longer than me.

I always mix them up: Turtle, tortoise or terrapin?[/quote]

Thanks for saving me the trouble of doing the google. And, while there’s some truth to the above post explaining that terrapins live in/near water more than turtles, apparently from Rascal’s link terrapin is used more commonly in British English, which is as I suspected. In this case, I believe Brits are being more precise; Americans are more casual, don’t give a damn, and are happy to lump them all together in one category: turtles.

The terrapins are still in my care. I feed them and change their water every night, but it tends to be an afterthought as I am also looking after five dogs and a cat. I’d really like to see them go to someone who can give them more time and attention.

They’re not much trouble - only mouse-sized. It’s fun to watch them paddle around in the bath tub gobbling up their food pellets. It’s a bit like a game of Pac-man.

I’ve heard they can bite and don’t let go, but they haven’t done it to me so far.

p.s. Apparently the Taiwanese name for red-eared sliders is 巴西龜 Baxi gui meaning “Brazilian turtles”.

[quote=“Juba”]

They’re not much trouble - only mouse-sized. [/quote]

sure now they are, hehe. don’t overfeed them! they’ll get fat.

you’d almost have to go out of your way for that to happen–it’s not like they can snap back instantly.

the “common” name, and a misnomer–they’re native to the south-east us. the proper name is 紅耳龜 hong er gui

I will be in Hong Kong working from 14 to 21 June. I sure would appreciate it if someone could look after the terrapins for a week, as I don’t trust my girlfriend to do it. She is very busy and she doesn’t care much about the animals, anyway.