Wolfgang F Map (good 1st water turtle) Turtle Turtle Baltimore, MD

Update July 2023: I've been adopted to a great home in Finksburg, MD, but MATTS may have more turtles like me for adoption.

Please read everything below before contacting MATTS. Most of your questions will be answered below.

I'm a young adult male false turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica), who was for adoption in the Baltimore area with transport available to York and Harrisburg, PA, weekly. I am an aquatic turtle which means I have to live and eat in the water. I'd make a good first pet aquatic turtle, since maps stay smaller than red-eared sliders and males stay smaller than females. FYI, turtles don't need a "friend" to be happy, and many of us prefer to be the only turtle in an enclosure.

I'm about 4" long and likely full grown, but males can grow to be 6". I'm around 3 years old, but could live another 10 or 20 years. I would like at least a 30 gallon aquarium or 50-gallon Rubbermaid stock tank. A stock tank from True Value or Tractor Supply costs less than an aquarium of the same size. I'll also need a basking platform where I can haul out of the water and sit under a heat light to dry off, a UVB light, a good filter (home-made or external canister preferred), and if my water gets below 72F at night, a water heater. Map turtles need very clean water, so the filter is important. We should NOT have gravel in the tank since we tend to eat gravel if it fits in our mouth.

I eat pellets such as Omega One, Mazuri, and ZooMed Growth, and greens such as leaf lettuce and edible weeds.

I'm for adoption because my person was going to college and couldn't take me with them.

There is a $5 adoption fee.
If interested in adopting me, please e-mail matts_adoptions@hotmail.com TO REQUEST AN APPLICATION; please INCLUDE YOUR CITY AND STATE in the e-mail, since not all turtles are legal in all states.

Local pick-up is by appointment on weekdays near downtown Baltimore or Timonium, MD. We can also meet on weekends, early mornings, or evenings in Parkton, MD. Shipping is possible if the adopter pays for shipping (usually $45 - $90 depending on location). Once you've completed the application and emailed it back as an attachment or in the body of an e-mail, the adoptions coordinator will go over it, and if everything is good, you'll be asked to create an enclosure if you don't already have one, and send pictures of the enclosure. Once that's reviewed, MATTS will contact you to arrange a pick-up or shipping time/location.

If you're in NJ, my adoption contract serves as a sales receipt so you can get a permit for a turtle. https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/exotic_apps.htm

A good e-book for beginners needing to learning about aquatic turtles is http://tfhpublications.com/reptile/redeared-sliders-animal-planet-pet-care-library.html

There's a great in-depth book that can be DOWNLOADED FOR FREE at https://www.lulu.com/shop/richard-lunsford/captive-care-of-north-american-water-turtles/ebook/product-17551523.html

Like turtles but can't have one? Want to help?
1) You can share my profile on social media and share www.matts-turtles.org so people can take better care of their turtles and help wild turtles stay wild.
2) MATTS has educational fliers (photos) to share on social media if you email matts_adoptions@hotmail.com to request them.
3) Share our "Monster You Made" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_935eZl84k on social media.
4) MATTS also accepts tax-deductible donations at MATTS, P.O. Box 341, Highland, MD 20777, or through PayPal at http://www.matts-turtles.org/support.html
Rescue is funded by donations only, and we find homes for over 100 animals a year.

Thank you!