Cooters and Sliders are two distinctly different species, Cooters are Pseudemys and Sliders are Trachemys, the names are not interchangeable.

And to add to the earlier answers, there's usually no problem keeping species with similar requirements together, although aggression between some species can be a problem, given sufficient room though they should be OK.

New arrivals should always be quarantined of course.

Ah thanks,

Ive been seeing a lot of different names for what im sure was Trachemys for sale. Now it just seems that people are selling them under the wrong name.... but why does that suprise me?

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What he said ^^^

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Sorry if the OP is a little thin skinned... how else could I have asked a very controversial but honest question without being perceived as being on the attack?

He ask a question as to whether he could mix two different species of turtles and then implied he would never do this with tortoises.

I was honestly curious as to why it was possibly acceptable with turtles and definetly not acceptable with tortoises?

Then the next question is how can this be percieved as an attack?

Then the person in this thread raises the question of 'should I'... why not... if the keeper has thought it through.

The concept of 'postage stamping' animals is a human concept that is obviously not natural... so why not keep two different species together with the proper provisions?

Just to add to your confusion... A cooter is sometimes called a Slider but a Slider is usually not called a Cooter.

They tend to be different species. Cooters are uaually much larger. Locals call most large log sunnying speices... Cooters. The smaller sunning type are usually called sliders... those pulled out of the water... snappers.

It's usually a local thing...

Presumably you mean petshops? You'll find they rarely have a clue about how to keep them properly, and often have them wrongly labelled, I've seen 3 species all in together and all labelled as YBS!
They were in fact YBS, Maps, and an African Helmeted which shouldn't even have been in there as it's a tropical species.
When I asked one of the staff why they looked so different if the were all the same species he said he hadn't noticed, and then said "well humans all look different don't they?"

Try and tell this to a farmer with a farm pond in Valdosta, Ga. The point is... it depends on who you talk to. Common names are loosely standardized among those who are familiar with and animal... it is not so standardized with the local people who actually came up with the common name to describe that critter sitting on a log that they shoot or don't shoot for supper. Cooters are usually fair game because of their size and sliders are usually to small to eat.

(another 'fun' topic) Standardizing common names has been tried in the past and is actually a pointless task when you consider the whole reason for using Latin to standardize species names.

Ed, it wasn't what you said, it's the short and sarcastic tone you posted it in. You do it all the time and you know it.

I wouldn't keep species of tortoise together, and I asked if it is safe to keep two different species together. My friend who has an RES asked me, and I didnt know, so I posted the question here.

Thanks, to Grahamme for answering my question politely Will pass the message on to my friend.

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Josh

www.tortoise-world.com

I did indeed mean pet shops... I have seen a sudden increase over the last 4 ish months in numbers of shops selling these... without proper naming, its not a big leap to think the advice they give cannot be accurate...

And EJ, your right... as ever.

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Ed, i love your short sarcastic tone. i find it refreshing, stay YOU forever and dont change!
on a serious not, why do the tort/turt threads always end up with a mix of tar, feathers and higher moral ground?!