Baby Snapping turtle

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Bktgifridays

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2012
586
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16
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Western New York
Hey everyone! I'd just like to take this time to introduce the latest member of my monster family! I was given this hatchling from a lady at my church that found the poor little guy in the road! After getting him setup in his new home last night, he indulged in his first meal of bloodworms.
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find a nice pond for it and let him go unless you are prepared to really provide for it long term. Bloodworms are not a substantial meal for this guy- it would be like you or I eating a bunch of tic-tacs. Get some night crawlers, gambusia, shiners, bighead minnows, or superworms (off tongs) and as it grows tillapia and small channel cats for this guy to eat- the more variety the better. The common snapper I care for at the shop is pushing 18" and eats 20 medium tillapia a day plus whatever mice are left over from feeding the snakes. they are garbage disposals and not good for beginners.

If you can care for it, then by all means go ahead. but don't feel obligated, it will do just fine in the wild.
 
Good advice,wonder how it got on the road though?
 
Thanks Snakeguy! I'm prepared ...just not when I received him unsuspectedly on Easter Sunday! Lol As for the bloodworms, its all I had in the house that an un-fed quarter sized snapper could eat. I will start him with some feeder guppies as I already have them breeding for my cichlids, minnows and the other things you mentioned soon! Once he gets a bit larger I have a small plastic goldfish pond I'll let him tear up for the summer! Than inside for the cold winter either in a LARGE aquarium or the basement pond depending on how big he gets!

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Great find just be prepared he going to get as big as a steering wheel for a truck. Snappers are great pets but not a beginner turtle. They grow fast too. Good luck and keep us updated Pls. Thanks!

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Yes, definitely not a beginner turtle! I've kept sliders, and painted turtles for a long time so I have some experience with aquatic turtles. My friend and I both found baby snappers last year too. Mine unfortunately didn't make it but his is thriving! Not 100% sure why mine died. I had one of the typical suction cup turtle landings, and when I came home from work one day I found him dead stuck in between the adjustable rails of the landing and the glass so I thought he actually drowned! This didn't really seem possible given that snapping turtles are like mini-bulldozers! He did have an injured foot(half was missing) when I got him so my other thought was an infection. Needless to say, I'm only using driftwood for a basking spot this time around! Any other suggestions for his tank would also be appreciated!

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If you've got the means to house and feed them, there's no reason to think these aren't a beginner turtle. They're as hardy as turtles come.

Josh H
 
They are large aggressive turtles that have a nasty bite and eat a LOT and can't live off of the turtle pellets sold commercially. If you want a beginner turtle, get a mud or a musk that will eat pellets, stays small and does not need UV.
 
snakeguy101 said:
They are large aggressive turtles that have a nasty bite and eat a LOT and can't live off of the turtle pellets sold commercially. If you want a beginner turtle, get a mud or a musk that will eat pellets, stays small and does not need UV.
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1.) No turtle should live only off pellets. Most can, though. Snappers can certainly live off a staple of commercial pellets like aquamax, no problem. Even without pellets, everything they would need for a good diet is readily available in supermarkets or pet shops. Again, this is only an issue of money, not complexity.

3.) Musks and muds have some of the worst bites in the turtle world, and can give much deeper lacerations than snappers twice their size. Many keepers report that their snappers become quite docile after a few years of care, and that's a fraction of it's lifetime. Many are like big puppy dogs by the time they're old enough to do any real damage. Many other turtles are just as defensive, and far more aggressive. Snappers are no Demon from the Murky Depths as they're often portrayed.

Josh H
 
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