Is my Florida turtle a Red Ear Slider? Can I legally keep it?

Those are a pair of yellow belly sliders. They are common throughout your state. Returning them to the spot you found them or to the nearest body of water would be recommended as well. If you plan on keeping them, check local, state and federal wildlife laws first. Care of this species is identical to its cousin, the red eared slider. You can review care at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Hello. This is a common Red Eared Slider & there is a ton of information available online, in books & at pet stores on the proper care of these turtles. Please inform yourself the best you can to give this little guy the best chance possible to have a long life. They can make very good pets. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The images are a bit blurry. It can be difficult to keep those little guys still! It does look like a YBS. They are not native to the UK and are typically captive bred. They are quite easy to keep. They need warm, clean water, a water heater, a basing spot with an overhead heat lamp, UVB lighting, a balanced diet consisting of animal protein and plant matter, calcium supplementation and multivitamin supplementation. For now, keep water depth no deeper than twice the length of the shell. As it grows, you can increase water depth. Maintain water quality via filtration and regular water changes. Feed a varied diet of prey (appropriately sized feeder fish, earthworms, crickets, etc.) and fresh greens and vegetables. Use a calcium and vitamin supplement and provide UVB lighting. You can review slider care at the link below. It is titled for Red Eared Sliders, however, Yellow Bellied Slider care is the same. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Thanks for reaching out about Franklin and including photos. This appears to be a yellow bellied slider, probably a male (long tail) and very young (under 1 year). Most hatch in spring but if captively bred, environmental conditions can be manipulated. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Squirt and including a photo. The two most common causes of this are mineral accumulations with hard water and exposed bone. Mineral accumulations you should be able to scratch off with a fingernail. Water source might need to be changed to filtered water or commercially available spring water. Exposed bone is usually due to poor water quality (high bacterial or algal loads) that erode the keratin layer. Water changes need to be made more often, but a veterinary visit is recommended as systemic antibiotics might be required. Good luck.

It looks like a juvenile slider. Ideally, a wild turtle should be returned to the area where found. They don't transition well to captivity Since it is a juvenile , you may have a better chance though. You can read about slider care here: http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html You can feed a commercial pellet or stick diet supplemented with fresh greens and some protein in the form of crickets, feeder fish or nightcrawlers. The water should be no deeper than twice the length of the shell and should be heated and filtered. Provide a heat lamp and UVB lighting.

Once a turtle is in captivity it should not be released back into the wild for the following reasons: 1.The turtle can spread disease picked up in captivity to other turtles in the wild. Pathogens, viruses, and bacteria are not always presented in the form of a symptom. Even if the turtle looks and acts like its feeling well it can still carry pathogens that will wipe out entire populations of wild turtles. Your turtle could be immune but be a carrier and therefore highly contagious to other turtles. 2.Wild turtles live in areas where the food will sustain their needs. If everyone who decided his or her turtle would be better off free, think again. If you release the turtle into an area that is already heavy with native turtles, you end up with a situation where they are all competing for a limited amount of food. 3.Turtles should also never be released into the wild because of climate and adaptation. For instance, a non-hibernating turtle such as a Mexican Wood turtle or an African sideneck released in a cold climate like Tennessee, Maine, or anywhere there is potential for freezing weather will surely die. In addition, if your turtle was a pet and has relied on you for food, he may not be the strongest hunter and will slowly and painfully starve to death when he cannot find food easily.