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Want to raise a few eyebrows?  If someone asks about your hobbies, tell them, "I raise turtles in my basement."

Currently I have  7     7     7       Turtles:
4 Red Ear Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans)...Moses, Stretch, Wishbone, Jay-Jay
1 Yellow-Bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)...Comet
2 Eastern Box Turtles (Terrepene carolina carolina)...Shelly and Debbie-Tot.

The sliders are kept in a 175 gallon galvanized steel stock tank.
The box turtles are kept in a 140 gallon polymer stock tank.

A quick and dirty guide for successfully keeping turtles. (mainly semi-aquatic)

Click here to see Turtle Pictures (when I post them)

  Useful Books/Texts  
Title Author(s) Content
Turtles of the United States and Canada Carl H. Ernst, Jeffrey E. Lovich, and Roger W. Barbour The definitive text I have found on turtles.  Very scientific (good thing I have a Life Science Degree).  Tells about needs (temperature, food etc.) and habitat, reproduction, behavior, distribution, etc.  Very detailed.  Indirectly useful in providing information on housing turtles as it focuses on the different species in their native habitat.
A Guide to Owning a Red-eared Slider Jordan Patterson Good outline of requirements of keeping  Red-eared Sliders (selection, housing, food, illnesses, and some on breeding.)  Excellent Pictures.
General Care and Maintenance of Red-Eared Sliders Philippe de Vosjoli More detail than many general care and maintenance books.  Includes information on similar species.  Probably the best starter book for Sliders
Cooters, Sliders and Painted Turtles Jerry G. Walls Good overview of many common turtles one might keep.  Interesting and simplified discussion of turtle classification and difficulties.  Excellent Pictures
Turtles: Keeping & Breeding them in Captivity John Coborn Similar to most introduction to turtle care and maintenance, but devotes more space to selection of turtles and necessary conditions and requirements for breeding them in captivity.
Turtles and Tortoises R.D. Bartlett and Patricia P. Bartlett Similar to most introductory care and maintenance of turtles, but covers more species and in a little more detail.  Also includes some generalized sections.  Good Pictures and Diagrams.
The Guide to Owning a Box Turtle Jordan Patterson Similar to Patterson's book on Sliders, but focuses on Box Turtles.  Again, Excellent Pictures.
The Reptile and Amphibian Problem Solver Robert Davies and Valerie Davies Covers more than just turtles (as title implies) but has good charts and tables for housing and feeding needs of various turtles, and a decent section on turtle (as well as other reptile/amphibian) illnesses and treatments.
Herp Help Lenny Flank Jr. Similar to Robert and Valerie Davies book, except it gives more written details instead of charts and tables.  Also different suggestions for care and treatment of ill reptiles, amphibians and turtles. (Kind of like a doctor's second opinion)

Relevant Herpetological Information/Links

Don Hamper Reptiles One of the best local breeders (there are very few in Ohio) and suppliers.
Drs. Foster and Smith Pet Warehouse One of the best mail order suppliers (reliable, modest prices, but not overly extensive in their inventory).
David Kirkpatrick A good website with a number of articles on various types of turtles and tortoises.   Also includes useful links.
Turtle Times Forum A forum for turtle enthusiasts.  A place to obtain and share information, as well as pictures, experiences etc.

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last updated: 10/07