Found another turtle at work...but what is it???
- Thread starter NOLAGT
- Start date
I just looked at it next to my F RES and I am pretty sure now thats what it is....I just have never seen them that color...shell and all. So is it not that big of a deal...should I try to keep it for breeding babies that would be worth more than the norm RES? I was going to let it go after I found out what it was....
well, first of its really true that res do black up whit age, specialy males but how much they do it is a genetic kind of thing. Some do it a lot, some aparently dont. Ive seen 40s year old res whit very ligth signs of melanism. And then there are babys that already born melanistic like that one. There apears to be several kinds or degrees of melanism as well. I have this female res(have had her for about 17 years
) and she is melanic but very peculiar, her color paches were orange (now they much darker) and her shell has this kind of pretty padron of dark stripes and yellow stripes over a darker green background. Ive seen others similar and they are quite pretty So there is a wide degree of variation. As for temporarily or permanently keeping that turt for breeding purpouses, I think you should first of check your local regulations conserning wild turts. If its ok then you have a dilema. This turt has grown all of its life in the wild and now he probably will have a hard time adjusting to life in captivity. BUT if you have a large pond with lots hidding places then that change in its life wouldnt be such of a big deal. You have however to consider if this turt is healty and if it wount be agressive toards your female. Also if you indeed sussed and they mate, the babys probably wont sell for much, they will probably be much darker than normal hachlings but you would be really lucky if you indeed hach a true melanistic. Putting all things together I think you should simply let him go
He has lived a good 30 years in the wild, lets let him be free for the rest 30 or so that he has left
) and she is melanic but very peculiar, her color paches were orange (now they much darker) and her shell has this kind of pretty padron of dark stripes and yellow stripes over a darker green background. Ive seen others similar and they are quite pretty So there is a wide degree of variation. As for temporarily or permanently keeping that turt for breeding purpouses, I think you should first of check your local regulations conserning wild turts. If its ok then you have a dilema. This turt has grown all of its life in the wild and now he probably will have a hard time adjusting to life in captivity. BUT if you have a large pond with lots hidding places then that change in its life wouldnt be such of a big deal. You have however to consider if this turt is healty and if it wount be agressive toards your female. Also if you indeed sussed and they mate, the babys probably wont sell for much, they will probably be much darker than normal hachlings but you would be really lucky if you indeed hach a true melanistic. Putting all things together I think you should simply let him go He has lived a good 30 years in the wild, lets let him be free for the rest 30 or so that he has leftI agree 100%...I let him go a few hours ago...that was my plan in the first place...I just wanted to find out what it was because I never knew they changed color like that when they got older. I knew they got darker....but nothing like that...so it was cool to learn. I agree that it had been wild for many many years and I didnt want to change that. The snapper we found at work that I am keeping was a hatching...thats why I was ok with it.
