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 Pet Central
Q&A
Q: My yellow-bellied
slider is three years old. He hasn't eaten much since October and appears
to be losing weight. By day, I keep him in a tank under a heat lamp, and
at night he runs free around the house. He eats feeder fish, romaine lettuce
and turtle food. Some say the turtle goes into hibernation and that's
why he doesn't eat. Others say he's sick. Which is it? -- K.B., Fort Lauderdale,
Fla.
A: By all accounts,
you have a talented turtle, the first we've encountered that does laps
around the house. However, it sounds like he may be ill.
Ron Humbert,
former president of the Chicago Herpetological Society, has been raising
sliders and other turtles for 40 years. He says that in balmy Fort Lauderdale,
a yellow-bellied slider would have no reason to hibernate or cut down
on its food intake (except during sporadic cold spells). Humbert says
your turtle's diet sounds appropriate, but be sure you feed him in water;
he won't eat on land.
"When a turtle
stops eating, it may be an ominous sign," Humbert warns.
"It's also possible
the turtle may simply require more ultraviolet light than you are providing,"
explains Greg Lepora, curator of herpetology at the Jacksonville Zoo.
You can either purchase a u/v light or set up a turtle pen in your back
yard. (Note: A turtle should be supervised, so it doesn't become raccoon
lunch.)
Before you see
an expert, watch for other signs of trouble, such as wheezing, or if the
turtle appears unbalanced when swimming.
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