An
example of the educational story accompanying the above
pictures.
FOREIGN BODY IN THE RED-EARED SLIDER
Turtles and tortoises are the most popular reptiles kept as
pets in Singapore. They are symbols of longevity and hard
work and are easier to keep in small apartments and
houses. They are kept in tanks and don't smell bad or
make a lot of noises unlike dogs.
This Red-eared Slider was not walking normally one day. It
tilted its body towards the left and lifted its right leg. Instead of neglecting it, the busy teenager who spent
a lot of time text-messaging his friends on his mobile phone
spared an hour to consult a veterinarian. At the
veterinary surgery, it behaved normally. This
is a
common situation for many pet owners at the veterinary
surgery. |
Their pets
look normal when they should be sick!
So, what was the
problem for this turtle? The veterinarian lifted it up
and examined every part of its body.
Just below and in front of its right armpit, embedded under
the skin was a 4 mm-long wooden splinter. This condition is
diagnosed as
"foreign body".
The
veterinarian cut off the foreign body. The turtle was
bleeding a bit. It felt good and energetic wanting
only to zoom away from the animal doctor. To
the most tranquil and scenic Singapore's Pierce
Reservoir. |
 BE
KIND TO PETS.
The picture says "I want to swim in the Pierce
Reservoir" sends a message to new pet owners to be
responsible for their pets. It is not
meant to encourage turtle swimming in reservoirs.
Its owners would never allow it to swim in any reservoir as it
would swim far
away and be lost. It was very well cared for and never
needed veterinary attention for the past 7 years. Till it
had a foreign body.
DON'T abandon the Red-eared Sliders
in reservoirs and ponds in the Botanic Gardens, Mount Faber
ponds and parks. When you have a pet, BE KIND.
Take care of it for as long as it lives.
MORE INFO ABOUT THE RED-EARED
SLIDER
The top of the shell (carapace) is smooth and gently curved and is olive
to black with yellow stripes and bars. It is a medium -sized turtle that
is best identified by a red or sometimes yellow patch that is found just
behind its eye.
The Red-eared Slider is almost exclusively aquatic. It rarely ventures out
of the water except to lay its eggs or to migrate to a new water body,
should the need arise. As a water dweller, the adult turtle feeds
primarily on aquatic plants. Young turtles are mostly carnivorous,
gradually switching to vegetation as they age.
This Slider is commonly seen
basking in the sun, on logs or masses of vegetation. When basking sites
are in short supply, they may even pile on top of each other, up to three
turtles deep. The Red-eared Slider very easily is spooked and will slide
directly into the water from its sunning spot at the least provocation.
During the breeding season between
March and July, the female may find herself swept away by a persistent
suitor. The male Red-eared Sliders attempt to win over a female by
engaging in courtship activities include swimming backwards in front of
the female with their forelegs stretched out, palm side up.
Red-eared Sliders may produce up
to three clutches of four to 23 eggs in a single year. With each nest, the
female will go on shore and dig a shallow hole that is three to 10 inches
wide. She deposits her eggs in these excavations and subsequently covers
them up with soil and materials to seal in the eggs for protection from
predators and the elements. The young turtles hatch 60 to 75 days later,
although they may spend the winter in the nest.
Source:
Texas Park and Wildlife - www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/wild/reptiles/slider.htm
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