So i used to have a small pond in my backyard (100 gallons, 1 foot deep) and i had a red eared slider turtle. I built the pond for the turtle, and the turtle liked it for a while, but then ran away and was never to be seen from again. So naturally, i did what any sensible turtle owner would have done...I got a new one!, and did some re landscaping of the rocks around the pond, and I was sure that my new turtle wouldn't be able to get out. How very wrong i was, I havn't seen that turtle since then either. HOWEVER recently i have scrapped that pond which was very small and located next to some big bushes, and i built a new one in my old vegetable garden which is surrounded by pavement. The new pond is much bigger and has more plants/hiding places, and looks like a much more natural environment for a RES. I got a new Slider last Thursday and put him in the pond. So far he has not run away, and seems to enjoy basking on this one rock in particular, but i am not entirely convinced that he won't try and escape. My other turtles only stayed in their pond about a day or two before hitting the road, but this one has been around for 5 days now! Do you think that he will try and escape too? There isn't a whole lot holding him back from walking across the patio and "running away". Should i build some sort of a fence around my vegetable garden to keep him in if so, what kind of a fence?
Will My turtle Run away?
- Thread starter mrchillman
- Start date
er, you may be introducing a very hardy species of predator into the native population. Are there lakes or ponds nearby?
well once they leave, there really is no coming back. I live in San Jose California, and it doesn't rain in the summer or fall so it is doubtful that an aquatic turtle would last very long
Turtles have sharp claws and powerful legs. particularly, small turtles can climb steep inclines if the surface is rough. make sure the fence is straight, and at least twice the height of the turtle. turtles dont stray far away from water. you might want to check the bottom of leaf piles or bushes near your old pond. if it has not been a long time you might still find them there.
If the turtles are very small then they can be carried away and eaten by birds such as ravens, crows and eagles.
Turtles can and will climb over rocks. Use wooden boards to make a fence. They can crawl into a hole in the ground or under rocks.
If the turtles are very small then they can be carried away and eaten by birds such as ravens, crows and eagles.
Turtles can and will climb over rocks. Use wooden boards to make a fence. They can crawl into a hole in the ground or under rocks.
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Definitely build a fence around your pond or you will lose this turtle as well. Most people don't realize that aquatic turtles have homing instincts not much different from pigeons. They know that this pond you dropped them into is not "their" original home body of water and will try to escape to find it.
Now, the key to building a good escape proof turtle fence is to trick the turtle into thinking it's not really caged in. Most species of turtles who come upon an obstruction in their path will either try to climb it, dig under it, or go around it. By using a type of wide spaced wire fence, you trick the turtle into thinking it can go through it, even though it can't fit. I use a type of garden fence wire that is made up of 2"x 3" rectangles for my box turtles. I've also used the same type of wire for containing painted turtles, snappers, woods, musks and muds. Now depending on the size of your turtle you might have to find wire fencing with smaller gaps in it. Here's a photo of my box turtle enclosure so you can get an idea of what the wire looks like. The green color helps to hide it even more.
Now, the key to building a good escape proof turtle fence is to trick the turtle into thinking it's not really caged in. Most species of turtles who come upon an obstruction in their path will either try to climb it, dig under it, or go around it. By using a type of wide spaced wire fence, you trick the turtle into thinking it can go through it, even though it can't fit. I use a type of garden fence wire that is made up of 2"x 3" rectangles for my box turtles. I've also used the same type of wire for containing painted turtles, snappers, woods, musks and muds. Now depending on the size of your turtle you might have to find wire fencing with smaller gaps in it. Here's a photo of my box turtle enclosure so you can get an idea of what the wire looks like. The green color helps to hide it even more.
DAVIDFBT
Extinct? Since when?