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Old 18-09-2007, 04:51 PM
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Default what is the best terrapin for beginners

posting for a friend

the question is in the title
what is the best terrapin to start with,
what size will it grow to
how much would be a reasonable price
thanks
julie
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Old 18-09-2007, 04:57 PM
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all terrapins grow to about 30cm+

(biggest ive seen avaliable is pig nosed that grows to 80cm+)

so you'll need a very big pond if you want one


thats all i know lol

graham knows a lot about terrapins
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Old 18-09-2007, 04:59 PM
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dont want a big one smaller preferbly
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1.1 paternless
1.2 normal
0.1 shct
1.1 lavender pastel
0.0.2 normal corns
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0.2. gsd elka and amie (as in WINEhouse)
loads of fish
and 1 boy child who is a sad utd fan one day i will convert him to a proper team
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Old 18-09-2007, 05:03 PM
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30cm+ is probably the smallest fully grown


although you can get a musk turtle
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Last edited by Andy b 1; 18-09-2007 at 05:06 PM.
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Old 18-09-2007, 05:06 PM
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Common musk's are small and Map turtle are the smallest, most common that i know of.
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Old 18-09-2007, 05:09 PM
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You can't buy Terrapins any more I thought...
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Old 18-09-2007, 05:11 PM
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Yeah you can. WHat is the difference between turtle and terapins?
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Old 18-09-2007, 05:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomcat View Post
Yeah you can. WHat is the difference between turtle and terapins?
They're both turtles.
EDIT - Ahh I see, it's illegal to import but not breed.
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Old 18-09-2007, 06:15 PM
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OK the difference between a terrapin and a turtle, Americans call them turtles, we call them terrapins, simple as that! In the UK a freshwater chelonian is called a terrapin, a marine chelonian is called a turtle. In America they generally refer to all aquatic chelonians as turtles and don't differentiate between freshwater and marine species, they even refer to tortoises as turtles sometimes just to confuse things!

All terrapins DO NOT grow to 30cm!

Musks, Muds, Painteds, some species of Maps, can all be considerably less than 30cm as adults, especially if they are male as they are smaller than females.

The problem is that not all of these species are available in the UK, Maps are quite easy to get but some can get quite large (they are not the smallest as Tomcat claims!), Musks of any species are small and are a bit harder to get, but you can get them if you really want them, Muds are difficult to get.

For a beginner wanting a small species I'd suggest Musks, they don't grow to more than 5", some less, are quite hardy so can be kept outdoors for much of the year if neccessary, and are generally quite easy to keep.

A 4' x 2' 2' tank or equivalent could be enough for a pair for life, it still needs very good filtration as it would for any species, and needs a basking spot with heat/UVB lamps.

Pricewise you can get young juvenile Common Musks (don't get tiny hatchlings as they can be a bit fragile, get 1" SCL minimum) for around £30, older ones up to £50.
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