rescued a couple of yellow bellies, differant people and places....

made a nice pond, basking area etc. and they have a place in the house when the weather is not too great..

in the house they come out of the water and bask on the rocks, outside pond they never come out of the water, even if its v v hot and i put them on the basking area the straight away run for the pond....

i guess its because they feel less safe, although they eat in the pond, but for 2 days, they never came out...just worried they are not getting hot enough.

Anyone got them to bask outside?
both just about fully grown.
cheers

My turts bask outside as soon as the sun comes out!

They're probably just getting used to it. Do you leave them in the pond, or move them from indoors to outdoors?

Is the pond in an exposed area, or are there surrounding bushes, shrubs etc...? If it's too open they'll probably feel vulnerable, some cover around the pond should help, but obviously not so it blocks the sun.

Can you post a photo or two of the pond?

__________________
2.3.0 Southern Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Florida Red Belly
2.1.1 Common Musks
1.0.0 Classic Cornsnake
0.0.2 GALS + infinite babies
0.1.0 Tibetan Spaniel
1.2.0 Brahma Chickens

http://www.julianhales.co.uk/08_june.htm

taken yesterday.

I left them out overnight in the last few days, but brought them in last night..
i can understand what your saying, any tips once you have seen the fotos?
cheers

I think there's a few problems, for one thing you need to leave them outdoors for the summer, not keep moving them in and out or they'll never get used to it. It's warm enough now that they'll be fine overnight in the water, you'd be surprised how much heat it retains, it'll be a lot warmer than the air temp.

The lack of cover may be a problem, the pond is very exposed and they're bound to feel vulnerable out of the water, a basking island may work better as they'll feel more secure surrounded by water.

And I'd turn that gravel area into a bog and plant it up with reeds and other wetland plants, add some more marginal plants in the shallows too, again it all helps them to feel secure.


The fence around the pond doesn't look very escape-proof to me, are you sure they can't get through there? It looks like they could easily fit through sideways, and if they can they probably will!

__________________
2.3.0 Southern Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Florida Red Belly
2.1.1 Common Musks
1.0.0 Classic Cornsnake
0.0.2 GALS + infinite babies
0.1.0 Tibetan Spaniel
1.2.0 Brahma Chickens

Some good ideas there, yes i know its warm enough at night, so i will take them out again, i was just worried they were not getting warm enogh to digest the food properly.

I did try a island, was first thing that sprang to mind....might try again, any ideas to make it was to get up and down?

I was hoping to turn the large pebbled part into a plant boggy area soon.

Only the male can fit totally through the gap, and then when only totally sideways, i am putting another row behind the 1st but overlapping.have u any fotos of your pond?
cheers

There's a few here Today in the pond

My island is a large plastic plant tub filled with rocks to make it sink, topped with gravel big enough so they can't swallow it, around the edge are a few large chunks of corkbark tied with garden wire and they climb out onto those, then onto the island itself. As the water level varies the cork goes up and down so they can always get out, even if it drops several inches.

__________________
2.3.0 Southern Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Florida Red Belly
2.1.1 Common Musks
1.0.0 Classic Cornsnake
0.0.2 GALS + infinite babies
0.1.0 Tibetan Spaniel
1.2.0 Brahma Chickens

yes i like it...will try to make a simular island over the weekend...can i ask what you feed them on?
mine trout food, prawns and other seafood..but rinsed well so salt removed. i want them to come onto land as i was told they would eat veg etc and take it into the water.

at the bottom of here is the female
http://www.julianhales.co.uk/08_may.htm
The postman brought it to me a couple of weeks ago, said he found a tortoise. in 15 years of keeping herps etc never kept turtles so it was a case of finding out what i could.

It seems a local park with a v large pond has many, and can be seen basking..was told if the pond was deep enough with mud they could stay out all year...but dont think mine is.

Mst admit they have grown on me...

The turt in those photos is a Cumberland Slider, not a YBS, and female by the look of it.

Mine are fed T-Rex or ZooMed turt pellets twice a week, the rest if the time it's whatever they can find in the pond, they particularly like Mayflies when they're in season but they'll take pretty much any insects that land in the water. They also munch on the Duckweed that covers the surface, and the Water Lily is taking a battering atm!

I don't think your pond is big enough or deep enough to overwinter them, it really needs to be a good metre at the deepest part, and a couple of thousand litres at least.

__________________
2.3.0 Southern Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Florida Red Belly
2.1.1 Common Musks
1.0.0 Classic Cornsnake
0.0.2 GALS + infinite babies
0.1.0 Tibetan Spaniel
1.2.0 Brahma Chickens

Graham you're rubbish - that's a cooter, likely one of the river ssp.

Cumberland Slider ah that wasnt what i was told but now looking at fotos i can see the resemblance.

I have just dug out my large cock pieces too and made a island..i will see if they use it over the next few hot days..

yes i was told too small for all year round. i dont mind bringing them in like i do now.
thanks for the tips!