Wild Caught Western Painted Turtle Hatchling!!!

[Kobeclone]

Also you should have put your new turt on quarantine to see if she´s healty, to make shure she´s eating well and to get a litle growth out of her before introdussing her to your slider. I quarantine all my turts for at least 2 weeks before bringin them together. Other wise shes a fine young turt

Good point. I didn't quarantine for two weeks, but I caught her the first day of camping, and we stayed 3 days. So, I guess I quarantined her for 3 days in a rubbermaid tote with a 100% water change twice a day with lake water. She fed good during this time and was very playful, so it didn't even cross my mind to q her once at home, although I probably should have. No signs of illness, good eating and basking habits, and good activity are present after 1 day with the slider, so I am fairly confident everything will be ok.

 

[Kobeclone]

That looks like a baby Midland Painted Turtle to me.

Midlands are not native here, only the westerns are. I googled "western painted turtle plastron" to make sure, and they are identical. I am 99% sure it is a western.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Midlands are not native here, only the westerns are. I googled "western painted turtle plastron" to make sure, and they are identical. I am 99% sure it is a western.

I know they're not native there but it doesn't mean it couldn't be one. Anyone can release a turtle. Look at RES, they're feral on every continent but Antarctica. Also keep in mind that all Painted Turtles are actually the same species just different subspecies. So if someone released a pet Midland into that lake, it could have easily bred with a Western to produce an intergraded young. I've bred and hatched Midland and Eastern Painted Turtles and the neck and head coloring really reminds me of a Midland as well as the plastron coloring. Oh well, nice turtle anyways!

 

[Kobeclone]

I know they're not native there but it doesn't mean it couldn't be one. Anyone can release a turtle. Look at RES, they're feral on every continent but Antarctica. Also keep in mind that all Painted Turtles are actually the same species just different subspecies. So if someone released a pet Midland into that lake, it could have easily bred with a Western to produce an intergraded young. I've bred and hatched Midland and Eastern Painted Turtles and the neck and head coloring really reminds me of a Midland as well as the plastron coloring. Oh well, nice turtle anyways!

Yeah, I guess you could be right. My only arguement to that would be...no one within 40 miles of me is into the home aquaria hobby. The care would be the same, so it is irrevelant to me

 

[jorgy27]

nice turtles