Juvenile terrapins update

[Jhn]

The 7 terrapin hatchlings ( now 9 months old) from last fall/summer have been in their pond for about a month. They are all doing well, they have to learn to not swim into the skimmer box chasing food, so at the moment there are brushes over the weir. Fortunately, nothing really to skim at the moment, since the pond is netted.

 

[j.w]

Do you bring them inside into your spare bathtub in the Winter? My friend up the road does. You use her bathroom as a guest and you have turtle company watching you

 

[Jhn]

Haha, don’t get performance anxiety.

Kept 4 in a 100gal stock tank and 3 in a 30 gal aquarium in the basement, but not in the bathroom. May need to rethink it for next winter.

 

[Mmathis]

@Jhn What kind are they?

 

[Jhn]

@Mmathis Northern diamondback terrapins

 

[Sparky]

That is so cool. Were they incubated or natural hatch? I have to look those up. I don’t keep turtles but love them.

 

[Mmathis]

Cool! Just looked them up — interesting turtles, and very pretty!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondback_terrapin

 

[Jhn]

That is so cool. Were they incubated or natural hatch? I have to look those up. I don’t keep turtles but love them.

Thanks, I have an adult pair in my main pond that laid eggs last year.

I incubated the eggs to keep predators from getting them.

 

[Sparky]

Thanks, I have an adult pair in my main pond that laid eggs last year.

I incubated the eggs to keep predators from getting them.

That is wild. Curious if you’ve done that before? We don’t have a lot of species of turtles in northern MN. Pretty boxes and snappers mostly. Up here there are actual turtle crossing signs.

 

[Mmathis]

Thanks, I have an adult pair in my main pond that laid eggs last year.

I incubated the eggs to keep predators from getting them.

That’s what happened with me about 15 years ago — and I now have 7 box turtles! Hatching babies was quite an experience!

 

[Jhn]

That is wild. Curious if you’ve done that before? We don’t have a lot of species of turtles in northern MN. Pretty boxes and snappers mostly. Up here there are actual turtle crossing signs.

Yes, I have incubated turtle eggs before. Used an inexpensive foam cooler type incubator, was really easy. Biggest thing was marking the eggs when removing them from the nest, since the eggs must stay oriented the way they were laid.

I used to have painted turtles years ago and they started laying eggs, as well. Incubated some and other times just left the nests. Also, I didn’t always find their nests, sometimes would just see little turtles swimming in the pond.

 

[RobAmy]

Very cool

 

[jay moussy]

We have a terrapin conservation program near me, lead by a fellow who is walking local flora and fauna encyclopedia:

https://orleansconservationtrust.org/release-the-terrapins-2017/

 

[Donna Saverino MI]

Thanks for share this! Very cool. I could see this becoming an obsession.