Where can I buy map turtles?

[selbyskipper]

Hi all,

I hope you can help me out. I have been looking into getting a turtle for my wife (well, I say wife, we're not technically married, but we've been together too long to still be calling her my girl friend, partner sounds gay and she doesn't like being called a lodger).

Anyway I've done some research and I think a male map turtle would be best as they don't grow too big. But they seem to be pretty hard to come by?

Can anyone recommend a reputable place to buy them? Preferably around the Yorkshire area. And some good books on keeping map turtles?

Cheers,

Si

[Dan Dan The Reptile Man]

i cant help specifically, but you may have more luck posting a wanted add in the classifieds area.

Dan

[ShesOnCake_Ox]

Tanks A Lot In Doncasteer Sell Them Thats the only place i know of x

[sushigeezer]

Originally Posted by selbyskipper

my wife (well, I say wife, we're not technically married, but we've been together too long to still be calling her my girl friend, partner sounds gay and she doesn't like being called a lodger).

Instant classic

[angela__k__84]

Exotic-pets.co.uk had them at one point. Not sure if they still do. I got all mine in aquarium shops. I have 3 Yellow Bellied Sliders (They get pretty darn big) one that looks like a slider/map cross and a mississippi map - who is gorgeous. Our red eared slider recently passed away, sadly. But they are the most adorable wee things. Fantastic to watch and a joy to keep. I highly recommend turtle keeping And a good filter lol!

[James_T]

Turtles that you buy are mostly hatchlings. At this stage it's near impossible to tell if they're male or female, so you have a 50% chance of one that will end up 11" as supposed to the circa 5" you were hoping for. However maps are pretty common, and there's hundreds in rehoming centres up and down the country. Would you consider taking on one of these slightly older, sexable turts? Bear in mind they can live 30+ years, and in captivity they generally become sexable at around 2 years old, so it's not like you're getting one that's on it's last legs.

Drop me a PM if you'd like further info.

[hysteria_uk]

Wharf Aquatics in Pinxton (J28 M1) often has young turtles

[selbyskipper]

Great, thanks for your help.

Any good turtle keeping book recommendations?

Si

[puffthebeardeddragon]

I believe a thread was made a few days again by a member on the lizard forums who had just bought one. Try finding the thread.

[angela__k__84]

Female maps will rarely get to 11", the average is around 5" for male and around 7.5" for females.
The general rule of thumb is that you should provide 10gallons of water per inch of the shell of your turtle, and a 75gallon tank is not gonna be too big. Personally I feel the more room you can provide the better. My guys are in a HUGE tank. I managed to get a great bargain on eBay.
If you buy a very small baby though keep the water shallow - they are not always the best of swimmers.
I don't know about books but provide a basking area with a good quality UVB and replace it every six months. It's really important they get this. Water temp is ideal around 77 degrees although babies prefer it a little higher and adults a little lower. Some commercial turtle pellets are nothing but ash Reptomin is the best on market and doesn't cloud your water too much but personally I feed my turtles in a seperate bowl. That way they can make all the mess they like. Leave them for 10-15 mins and they'll normally poop too meaning you need to clean your tank out a lot less. It is also a good idea to try to introduce fruit and veg to your turtles diet.
You really can't beat Austin's Turtle Page for info...
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