Terrapin

Lucas

Hey

I was looking for a terrapin and was wondering if anybody knew where I would get one in the south Dublin area

Thanks

Nala

I take it you've done your reading up on them and know how big they get, how to look after them properly, etc?
Just as with any pet, sometimes people buy them without knowing exactly what they'll be dealing with

Bottle_of_Smoke

If you've done what Nala says, (lotsa great pet websites, get a book too) then i think Reptile Haven on Fishamble street sell em, if you wanna ring ahead - 016704001

FranknFurter

Be VERY VERY carefull!
These terrapins grow at an amazing rate!
Very soon, it will reach the size of a dinner-plate!!
Its diet will need to include such things as (plain cooked to avoid salmonella and other diseases) red and white meat, and pinkies (baby mice), and some dry dog food as a weekly treat for balance.

Last year, I ended up with 3 HUGE ones, and I ended up having to rehome them, because my SIX FOOT tank was not big enough!

red-ear terrapins (the most common kind) are a big problem in this country, rather than buying one, please try to find one thats allready needing a new home (Faye ("Bond-oo7") may be able to assist you in finding one?).

Personally, I think you might consider a tortoise, like a hermans, or a turtle that will grow at a slower rate.

Kingsize

i dont know whether you can legally buy red eared terrapins anymore you can get similar though in petland on camden st,& wackers on parnell st .
but heed the warnings, my brother had 2 when he was a kid they grew enormous& he had to keep buying bigger tanks not to mention the fact that the little fukkers kept smashing the heaters he put in with them,
they fairly stink too & i think they can carry salmonella so be cautious,

me-shell

Hey!
First of all, terrapins are great pets!! If the person who owns them knows enough about them and is willing to put effort into caring for them, but that goes for every pet!
Secondly, the threat of salmonella is greatly exaggerated! If you wash your hands after eating them, your fine. Be sensible about it.
Thirdly, yes it is illegal to buy Red Eared Terrapins in Ireland, but not any other type.

Finally, not all terrapins grow to the size of a dinner plate. And even if they did, this should take years. At 1 year old a red eared terrapin should only be 3 - 4 inchs or it is being over fed. You can buy terrapins that, when fully grown are still farely small. For example, male map sliders are only 5 - 6 inchs fully grown.

I have 4 terrapins and love them. Don't be put off. They are easy to care for!

me-shell

Here is a great web page to find info on them...
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Glowing

FranknFurter,

My family also have a huge terrapin - she just keeps growing into whatever tank we get - its crazy.

Where did you rehome yours? If we could find somewhere suitable for her, then we might consider giving her away, as we just don't have the room any more. We have had her 6/7 years - and its fine in the summer as we put her outside with access to a pool but during the winter, its terrible, as the tank is getting too cramped.

Cheers.

P.S Lucas, I wouldn't recommend getting one of these - they grow so quickly and the equipment is so expensive! Tanks, filters, lights, food ... etc etc. Get yourself a gerbil or something - I wouldn't have bought mine if I knew what was in store for me.

Wibbs

Red ears do seem to be quite variable in size. I had a male one that I got when I was very young that lived to the age of 31 and was under 7 inches when he died. The female ones grow much bigger.

For a first turtle I'd suggest a musk/stinkpot turtle. They're very hardy and easy to look after. Ambiona box turtles are another good species. they don't get that big and are again easy to look after. Don't confuse the Ambiona box species with the American box turtles though, as they seem to prefer a more aquatic setup IME. The beauty with both of these species is that they aren't too aggressive with each other.

One to avoid is the softshell turtle. They can get very big and are aggressive biters(on their own they may be ok). They need special care and are prone to getting fungal infections.

These are just my 2 cents worth. I'm no expert, just someone that's grown up always having turtles. I will say they're easy pets once you get the setup right and each one of them has a distinct personality.

The most important thing with their well being is to keep the tank as clean as possible. If the tank smells bad they're not clean enough. Adding a little salt to the water also helps to keep down fungal problems.

Lex Luthor

I seem to remember when we were kids we had a few terrapins and they never grew no larger than 2" diameter....
WTF are ye guys feeding them these days?

Pinkies???? Are these not vegetarian?

Wibbs

Lex Luthor wrote:

Pinkies???? Are these not vegetarian?

Most if not all aquatic turtles/terrapins are 90% carnivorous. They do eat vegetation as well and seem to occasionally like things like small pieces of carrots, lettuce, banana and apples.

Things like red meat and especially dry dog food should be given very rarely as that can cause gout and growth defects. I suspect the high growth speeds of some of these turtles may be down to incorrect diet. The other problem with messy foods like pinkies(large snapping turtles maybe, but other species I would seriously doubt) is that they foul the tank water very quickly and can lead to disease.

I always found that the commercially available pellet foods with the odd bit of fish/meat/fruit & veg works well IMHO.

me-shell

If any of ye are serious about getting any sort of turlte, or terrapin, log onto www.turtleforum.com

that is an amazing site with thousands of members worldwide. There is always very knowledgable people on-line there to answer any questions.

So before you get one, or especially if you have one already, join that forum!!
Its really easy and definately worth while!!!

You'll never go wrong then....

ozt9vdujny3srf

hey I have two red eared turtles and they are getting seriuosly too big for their boots and i was wondering does anyone know anything bot lettign them live outside in summmer as i am a bit worried about rying this jsut in case

Wibbs

Yes you could put them out during the summer months, especially if they're of a good size. Make sure it's well after any chance of frost and it might be better to bring them in at night.

You'll need a fairly deep (1ft at least)pool sunk into the ground. One of those garden centre rigid ones. You have to put the enclosure somewhere that gets a lot of sun. A heat lamp in one corner wouldn't be a bad precaution to take. You'll need to build a fence around them with a lip at the top. You wouldn't believe how well they climb.