Originally Posted by turtlerouge

Oh man, do I have questions of how to care for these little ones. The breeder shipped them from Va to me Dec. 30, when the temps were freezing, she didn't put on the outside of the box, "Live animals" via Fedex, so when they reached Pitts Airport, they were delayed by freezing rain for 8 hrs. By the time I picked them up and they were pretty cold, so i soaked them in lukewarm water on a lid, they showed signs of life by opening their tiny mouths.
I took them home, soaked them again, and again they were opening their mouths. I thought they were hungry, I put some marzuri mush on my finger & they wouldn't eat it, I put them under a heat lamp, but not directly over top of them and again, they opened their mouths. I emailed the breeder and told her what I did, but she said that I was killing them. She told me that I was worse than Fedex and it any care instructions before I got them nor after. She demanded me not to contact her again, she blackballed me as a person who is cruel to animals and that I should seek med. attention for mental disease. I was fuming. I'm doing the best that I know how to care for them from reading the internet.

Originally Posted by debbieumphress

I was just thinking, did you know you can actually buy a skunk that is fixed? And when I applied to get one the sent me a "book" on their care and it was so technical and strict. Go figure. Enjoy your babies, they look so fun. I would be watching them daily to figure out their individual personalities. Have fun with them.

Originally Posted by Melinda in Tulsa

Wow! Your's is much bigger than mine! I just feed her turtle bites. Maybe I need to get her some live food. Her shell is maybe 6 inches long, front to rear, at almost 4 years old.

Here in Oklahoma, every spring, they are just everywhere! I live on the Arkansas River, so that may have something to do with it. You see them crossing the road frequently that time of year. I can't save them all tho!

She started out in a 20 gallon tank with just a little water in it, and in the summer I moved her to an outdoor 90 gallon fish pond. When the 20 gallon got a little small for winter time use, I moved her to the 125 gallon tank in the house where she now lives year round. I would really prefer she not get huge! Yes, she has a wonderfully big tank but I don't dare put tropical fish in it anymore, I'm afraid she would eat them, :lol:

Originally Posted by Maride

You don't have to feel bad about what you did. You cared for them as any knowledgeable person would. Soaking and light is the best you could have done for them. As any animal in a new environment, eating is not a priority. Turtles can go for months without food. My Jose Feliciano was blinded by his cage mates and he lasted a year. I managed him to drink from time to time but he would not eat.

The breeder is the one who abused the animals. First, you don't ship during the winter when the weather is so bad. This animal are sensitive to temperature. They are cold blooded and need warm environment to regulate their body temperature. She should have labeled the box. The reason she didn't is because FeDex will not ship live animals knowingly, and that is breaking their rules. DHL would have been the right way to ship them, but again, in the spring. She shipped them because she just wanted the money and was not interested in the well being of the little guys. When I got my Sulcatas I paid half the money in February and he held them for me until May, when he was coming to the area. We met in Albany and he delivered them. He would not ship them in February. If he had hibernated them prior to sending them, they could have died because of the temperature fluctuations in the truck.

You did the right thing. Have that peace of mind. She did wrong.

Originally Posted by geckogirl

Red Earred Sliders get to be about the size of a large dinner plate when they are full grown. A lot of people are amazed because when they are born they are actually just smaller than or about the size of a quarter. Their diet consists of dried pellet food, feeder goldfish and even the occasional plant.

Hope my random knowledge isn't bugging anyone :-/ I work in the education department at my zoo and I give programs on this kinda stuff all the time :) I reeeeally like my job in case you haven't figured that out LOL

Originally Posted by Melinda in Tulsa

Dinner plate size I can handle! I used to have an Oscar that was about 13 inches. Her name was Bertha, LOL (reason for the 125 gallon tank)
I fed some lettuce to Henrietta once but she never ate it. I'll pick up some feeder gold fish occasionally for her. What about crickets?