Sandy 46 yr old RES Turtle Red-Eared Slider Baltimore, MD

Sandy was adopted June1, 2013, to a home in Maryland with a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank turned into a turtle pond on the deck.  She'll go indoors in the winter.   Please read the description in full before contacting MATTS if interested in a slider or other aquatic turtle.

Sandy is a very personable, 46 year old female aquatic red-eared slider turtle in the Baltimore area. She's full-grown at almost 8" long and WILL NOT grow any larger. Although Sandy is 46, she could have another 10 to 15 years to go!  She's healthy and eating Zoo Med and Mazuri aquatic turtle pellets and greens, but she won't turn up his nose at a treat piece of cooked chicken or fish. She would like at least a 75 gallon aquarium , Rubbermaid stock tank, or indoor pond of her own, although larger is better when it comes to tanks!  She can't go outside becasue it's too cold, but in the summer she can go into a FENCED-IN backyard pond if it's available.


Sandy came to us from an animal shelter after her family dropped her off there. 

Review the slider care sheet to learn more about caring for a slider.
http://www.midatlanticturtles.org/aquaticcare.html  A good book to learn more is Red-Eared Sliders (Animal Planet Pet Care Library) from TFH Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ (2011), available in Petco stores or from http://www.amazon.com

Sliders can live for 20-67 yrs (although 20-40 is common), and can grow to be 6-8" for males, and 8-11" for females. They need large indoor aquariums or ponds, a basking spot, and water filtration. Indoor ponds and aquariums require a haul-out spot, a.k.a. basking spot, a heat light over a basking spot, a UVB light over the basking spot, a high-powered filter, and usually a water heater. Outdoor ponds must be in an escape-proof yard or the pond itself must be escape-proof. If you have a backyard pond, the turtle can't go outside for the first time until May, but can live year-round outside after that.

If using an aquarium, a good rule of thumb is roughly 10 gallons per inch of turtle (straight carapace length). So, a 6" turtle will need at least a 55 gallon aquarium.

There is no adoption fee for sliders from MATTS, but you must complete an application and if approved, supply pictures of set-ups before taking the turtle.

Please review our adoption requirements for aquatic turtles at http://www.matts.petfinder.com if interested in adopting a turtle.
Request an adoption application from matts_adoptions@hotmail.com. Please include your city and state when contacting MATTS.

PLEASE HELP OTHER TURTLES by spreading the word - baby turtles grow into big turtles! They do not stay small - they do not grow to the size of their enclosure! Please don't buy hatchling turtles at vacation tourist spots.