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RAUK - Archived Forum - Terrapin from Totteridge

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Terrapin from Totteridge:

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GemmaJF
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Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: 02 Aug 2003

Collected today from a duck pond in Totteridge, I believe she's a red bellied slider, if anyone knows different or can confirm please let me know. It appears that she was outside for quite a while as there is a large amount of algal growth on the upper carapace. Though Mr. Nelkin who caught her believes she was only in the duck pond for the last few weeks. He had experience of a red ear in the pond a few years back which had an impact on the local moorhens so wisely called Froglife who called me to arrange its collection.

 

(I will just add the RSPCA advice was "don't touch it as it probably has salmonella", very helpful)

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Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
Martin
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Joined: 23 Feb 2003
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Posted: 03 Aug 2003
Little beauty! Looks to me like a red belly (Chrysemys nelsoni). Is it alright with you. or where ever it is? I could take it here if that would help? From the photo it's shell looks slightly knobbly which often suggests that it did it's growing in captivity on a challenged diet. A properly fed one through growth will have a completely smooth shell. Nice one for catching it, was it hard to catch?

Martin.

PS I'm never quite sure about these duck tales and red ears?!

GemmaJF
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Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: 03 Aug 2003

Hi Martin, I didn't catch it, though went up on Friday in poor weather and saw nothing, the guy who caught it lives next to the pond and simply picked it up off its regular basking spot a few feet out from the edge on a submerged rock yesterday.

She's quite small at 11cm carapace so ok for now in an aquarium, but if I get any more I'll bring the lot down to you. (though my son might object as he has already named her "Gemma" ) One is about all I could cope with indoors from my memories of them!

The moorhens apparently didn't breed for 3 seasons when the red ear was around, they normally have 3-4 clutches each year successfully so this is unusual - if it was linked to the red ear I do not know, though the pond is used by common frogs and I've seen first hand what a terrapin can do to them.

Have you got any ideas on how to remove the algal growth from the carapace?


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
Martin
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Joined: 23 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 87


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Posted: 03 Aug 2003
Perhaps try gentle scrubbing with a toothbrush or nail brush and just sort of pick it off. Not too much protein in it's diet, I'd offer it something like freshwater prawns (chopped raw with shell on.) and water cress, duckweed and even cabbage!
Good luck, they're lovely animals.
Martin.
Mike
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Joined: 15 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 74


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Posted: 04 Aug 2003

Prawns !, not even I get prawns Martin

We didn't notice much problem with the Moorhens when we had the terrapins, (maybe the pond size and available food has something to do with it) what we did notice was the drop off in newts, which seem to be recovering now the terrys have gone.

As for the RSPCA, well, use of a .22 was mentioned

Mike.

 


Brickfields Park FREE 25th Anniversary Funday, 4th July 2010.
Wildlife, Farm Animals, games, quizzes, refreshments and more. Fun for all.
See - http://www.brickfieldspark.org/dates.htm
GemmaJF
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Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: 05 Aug 2003

Hi Martin,

Just to say the prawns and watercress are big hit, she's feeding well  and most of the algae has died now that she can bask and dry out completely. Thanks for the advice.

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Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
jopedder
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Joined: 24 Jul 2003
No. of posts: 55


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Posted: 05 Aug 2003
I've used an old toothbrush for cleaning terrapins very effectivly, ive even tied a tooth brush to the end of a stick to tackle a particularly fearsome alligator snapper  !
Robert V
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Joined: 06 Aug 2004
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Posted: 04 Sep 2004

 

 You know what guys, call me sad, but I can't believe you can dote over that terrapin when they wipe out our natural pond life devouring huge amounts of frog/toad spawn. I found half eaten frogs barely alive from those bl**dy things. If I wasn't such an avid herpto I'd air gun the lot of them! 0)


RobV
Tony Phelps
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Joined: 09 Mar 2003
No. of posts: 575


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Posted: 04 Sep 2004
We have a 'slider' at Norden on a farm pond in a camping site, we call him 'jaws'. He or She is dinnerplate size and consumes everying, moorhens, chicks and adults, and mallard ducklings. Tried everything to catch this monster, even the old rubber tyre/net trick. The farmer has even tried to shoot it, but the darn thing remains elusive, one smart chelonian.

Tony
GemmaJF
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Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: 04 Sep 2004

Well Rob, fair comment, but she's still alive and well in her tank, and only eats salad most of the time these days!

I've seen the results of a terrapin on the rampage also, but don't see it as the terrapins fault, only the fault of the idiot that released her.

I've also seen frog populations devestated by foxes, corvids and PEOPLE and agree with your solution at least for the later group.

 


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
justin
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Joined: 26 Feb 2004
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Posted: 04 Sep 2004
hi all i no how much damage they can do but at the end off the day it is,nt their fault they were throw in a pond because there owner did,nt want them if i ever saw someone trying to hurt any animal in this country with a gun i would,nt be happy and would probably send them for a swim or a good kicking there are other ways justin
B Lewis
Krag Committee
Joined: 24 Aug 2004
No. of posts: 146


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Posted: 05 Sep 2004

Hi Gemma,

Can I suggest that you add some cuttlefish bone to the diet also. I know prawns offer a good protein boost and some calcium but often cuttle fish as whole chunks in the water or powdered and sprinkled onto dampened food will help reduce any difficiency problems. Though this will only be effective if it receives enough sunlight to promote Vit D. Phosphorus is also indicated when helping to restore proper bone, beak, claws,plastron and carapace growth.... I'm sure that I am saying things that you already know but thought it was worth mentioning.

Kind regards

Brett.

I once had a total of thirty of the little critters that had been rescued from sewers, ponds, waterways and mindless people. It's a thankless task but I agree with Justin, it's not their fault....


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Robert V
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Joined: 06 Aug 2004
No. of posts: 717


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Posted: 05 Sep 2004

 

 dear all,

 I agree with all that you say about it not being their fault. Good to see such passion from avid enthusiasts. On the qusetion of diet Gemma, if you're going to take Bretts advice with the cuttlefish, why not go to a delicatessan and get some frogs legs!!! Lol 0:)


RobV
GemmaJF
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Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: 05 Sep 2004

Hi Brett,

Thanks for the advice, she gets some artificial UV and a dust on supplement at the moment (though most just floats in the water) so I'll try her with the cuttlefish lumps. We're also planning an outdoor reptiliary so she can get more natural light during the summer.

She turned out to be a yellow-bellied slider once all the algal blemishes disappeared and seems far more veggie than red ears I've kept in the past.

I doubt if she'll be alone long, I've just set up a reptile survey at an EWT site and they are fairly sure they have a biggy in one of their flooded gravel pits, anyone got a spare dingy!

 

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Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
Mike
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Joined: 15 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 74


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Posted: 06 Sep 2004

Tony -

>We have a 'slider' at Norden on a farm pond in a camping site,

Norden, is where ?, if not to far from me I could have a go at catching it for you if needed. We had 11 and caught 9, remaining 2 died for one reason or another.

>He or She is dinnerplate size and consumes everying, moorhens, chicks and adults, and mallard ducklings.

Now is this realy the case ?, there were a lot of press 'reports' a few years ago about what they will eat, but we never did get to the bottom of it. In our case we did not seem to loose ducklings and the like, but did see a drop off in frogs, toads, newts, and fish, these have recovered since we caught the terrapins.

Another local park close by had an Alligator Snapper for many years, sumo sized beastie, now that one really did munch it's way through the wildlife, whatever came close enough went down it's neck. Fortunatley it got caught when the pond was drained for repairs.

>The farmer has even tried to shoot it,

This is what the RSPCA reccomended (off the record of course !).

>one smart chelonian.

They do get very wise to local conditions, we could never catch more than 2/3 a year, the remainder learned very quickly from their compatriots capture.

Mike.


Brickfields Park FREE 25th Anniversary Funday, 4th July 2010.
Wildlife, Farm Animals, games, quizzes, refreshments and more. Fun for all.
See - http://www.brickfieldspark.org/dates.htm
jamiesamson85
Member
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
No. of posts: 5


View other posts by jamiesamson85
Posted: 24 Sep 2007

Hi Gemma,

I live about 2 min from that pond at there are definately still one or two indivduals at that pond.

Jamie


- Terrapin from Totteridge

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