Beginner Bog Builder w/lots of ?

[Ruben Miranda]

Hi
Pond and pond look great con grates.
No it never ends
You will want to change something you will want it bigger you will change things around It never ends.

Your Turtles look great.
Ninja is very lucky to be a live and have a good mom.

I have one that is very sneaky and won't stay put.
Last summer and even before but last summer I thought he was gone for sure.
Don't know where he was but a 3 weeks or a month I walked out to the pond and there he was floating away.
Did not see any damage on the shell pr anything he was sure hungry though.
He must have learned the grass is not greener on the other side as now he pretty much stays put. Except for the occasional excursion across the grass.

Ruben

 

[brandonsdad02]

I have 2 sliders that live in my pond. We have had both of them for 2 years now living in the pond. The first year our lime ear slider got out and we thought that it had wandered into the field behind our house because there is a stream that runs back there. I figured it would come back in a few days. Well the whole summer went by and nothing. That winter I took our red ear slider to a friends pond about 20 miles away because I was going to drain mine for the winter and bring the fish inside. Spring came and I made the pond bigger, added a bog and made the pond deeper. All summer and nothing from the MIA turtle. This past fall I was taking out my skippy filter since I had the bog and wasn't going to used the skippy anymore. While I was down there I saw a large clump of leaves moving in the pond so I got my net and scooped it up. It was my lost turtle. I dunno where it had been but it was in great shape and looked really good.

I can't find any at the moment of our red ear slider, but she is the same size as our lime ear slider.

 

[CountryEscape]

Good idea to take close up pics of the turtle, Ryan, you can identify it later with patterns. Two years ago I had a turtle that was a little guy, showed up and stayed all summer. Figured he left to hibernate, and then last summer, found a turtle walking around the waterfall. I was sure it was Aris, same attitude, same smarts to come for the food. But, he was only there for a month or two, then vanished. Had a larger and smaller turtle that stayed in the goldfish pond but they were not Aris. Maybe he will return this summer again.

 

[pond42sliders]

Hi
Pond and pond look great con grates.
No it never ends

He must have learned the grass is not greener on the other side as now he pretty much stays put. Except for the occasional excursion across the grass.

Ruben

Hi Ruben...thank you for the compliment, and you know what...your right. I was out there changing stuff around...BIG stuff...again today. Tore out the turtle guard, got tired of having to step over it. Dug a trench for a footing, so I can put the rod iron fence up and let the turtles have the run of the whole area.
Thinking, "How can I make a little trickle river go from the bog, to the little pond, and another little river running out of the little pond down into the big pond????? hmmmm?"

I don't know if turtles think about how good they have it in one place after wandering off to some other place. I know they have an excellent scense of direction, and will return to what they consider their home after wandering someplace that not even the owner knows where they've gone. Another one of my turtle got out of the back yard once, and I knew she did because there was a trail of scutes from her shell leading to the front yard. It was june 11, the summer was hot, and I knew she would die without water in just a few days. I put signs up everywhere, in spanish and english.
Then one day I needed a clay brick and started digging around in the garden. I pulled up a wooden pallet and started pushing the shovel around, and then I saw a turtle shell. I went crying in the house and decided well I'll make something out of her shell, so I went back out and bent down to pick her up and I heard a hiss. Not only did she find her way back, bugt she found the only place in the yard where she could have survived those three months. It was where the runnoff from watering the yard ran into my veggie garden!
But, i do have to wonder sometimes what goes on in their heads. Because no matter where he is...if it is outside in a yard somewhere, Dog Bone just starts running and never stops!

 

[pond42sliders]

In an ealier post I stated there are no water turtles native to California. That's actually not true, however, The Western Pond Turtle is very much at risk of becoming extinct, and they are illegal to keep captive as pets. All Western Pond Turtles found are supposed to be turned over to either USFWS, BLM or a California Species of Special concern Turtle Rescue and Rehab for distribution in a designated area, that's located as close to where the turtle had been found.
Last I heard, there were less than 200 in southern Ca, and they are closely monitored. I've never even seen one. Back in the 1990's, around 500 were taken from a lake in San Bernadino county and shipped to Europe for resale. There has been a steady rapid decline ever since. Releasing non-native turtles in california waterways, is contributing to decline of Calif only fresh water turtle.
They are more populated inSouthern Oregon, and the most northern parts of Calif, which helps keep them off the endangered species list but are considered a threatened species

 

[pond42sliders]

Ryan, your turtle is beautiful! And so healthy looking. CE makes an excellent point...taking close up pics for ID purposes. Plus, should any health issues become a concern, you have a good reference for what he's supposed to look like. Heath issues are not easy to identify, (unless obvious, like cuts or cracked shell) but certain color changes in the shell...particularly the underside or on the plastron can be warning all is not good.
Of course, older turtles' shell will get darker and more dull. But your little guy will be shiny, bright and beautifully good looking for quite a few more years. He's so cute. :smile:

 

[CountryEscape]

Here is a video I did of the baby painted turtle when he showed up 2 years ago. I had forgotten how small he was!!! I named him Aris. Love the way he moves to attempt to get as may of the pieces of food, before getting sucked into the skimmer.

 

[pond42sliders]

Oh my, CE he is so cute!! I love when he stops for a second and looks up...just checking incase you have more food ready to toss in for him.
If I could hit the LIKE button, more than once....I'd still be clicking in my sleep!

 

[CountryEscape]

Haha, yep, he was a character. I can't believe I wasn't laughing the whole time I was videoing. He was determined not to let any of the food get by him. He learned really quick how to stay away from the koi when they were feeding, but other times he would be right in the middle of the frenzy. He was a joy to watch, and everytime I went outside even just to view the pond and fish, I would call and he would come swimming. Sometimes he was over the ledge in the bog, but he would scramble to get out on the overflow and come swimming over. He loved the pellets, and the following year I tried krill and plankton, all of which he adored. In fact, the koi liked the pellets better than the lighter freeze dried krill and plankton, so Aris usually got most of that, and he sure would stuff himself, seemed to have an endless stomach.
Here he is when the koi all of a sudden swim to him, probably thought there was food near him.

I sure hope I don't get that floating algae this year. That was my first year first pond, and not many plants yet at that time. So far this year ... knock on wood ... no algae to speak of other than a little green stuff in the stream and one area of one of the bogs.

 

[j.w]

Hope he shows up someday again CE. He sure was a cutie!

 

[pond42sliders]

I Love him....I think he thinks he's something, of himself. Those litlle legs behind him, 'bobble balancing' while he's gettin along his way, are so cute.
He'll be all grown up, if he comes checking in CE. But, you'll reconize his "big stuff" personality...I'm sure you will :boldblue:

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, I did see him last year, I'm sure it was him. He's all about personality, always came out at feeding time. Then one day he didn't show up anymore. It's possible he went searching for a mate at the farm pond or something, but I also found a couple of dead turtles within a month of his disappearance. He was much larger last year, maybe at least twice the size. So, this year I will take pics of the turtles, if I can get them caught that is. Usually they hide under the water, eyes closed, so it's easy to sneak up on them either with a net or my hands if the water is warm and I'm in the pond.