Ill be at the York, PA, Reptile Expo on December 19th at the Wyndham Garden Hotel if youd like to see me in person.

http://mdreptilefarm.com/events/category/reptile-shows/york-county-reptile-show/

Please read the description completely before contacting MATTS. Many of your questions will be answered below.

Im a juvenile aquatic yellow-bellied slider turtle in the Baltimore area, but transport is available to the York, PA. I eat Mazuri, Reptomin, and Zoo Med turtle pellets and other brands of pellets, dark leafy greens, and thin slices of carrots. I wont turn up my nose at a piece of plain cooked chicken, either. I ONLY eat in the water.

Since Im only about 3-4" now, its impossible to say if Im a boy or girl. I could end up being a big girl, up to 8-10, so although I could do OK in a 30 gallon tank or large Rubbermaid tote now, eventually Ill need at least a 55 gallon tank, and if Im a girl, I would need at least a 75 gallon aquarium or stock tank or indoor pond when Im full grown. The aquarium or tank should have a basking area with a heat light and UVB light, with a strong external canister filter or really good home-made filter. A Rubbermaid stock tank would make a good home, and those are cheaper than aquariums. A 100 gallon plastic Rubbermaid or Tuff Stuff stock tank from True Value or Tractor Supply Company is usually about $100, and they also come in 150 gallon sizes. In the summer, it would be great if I could live in a fenced-in, backyard pond (dug below the frost line so that the top wont freeze solid, if Im spending the winter there, too). I can also live outside all year if I live a more southern area of Maryland or down south.

Im for adoption because my owner didnt do his research before buying me and my friend when we were babies, and didnt realize how big we would get. I might also be mixed with a little Cumberland slider, which is another subspecies of slider. Turtle farms can be like puppy mills, and breed "mutts" of mixed subspecies when the breeders dont care whats mixed in a pond together.

Sliders can live for 20-60 yrs, and can grow to be 5-8" for males, and 7-11" 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 cant go outside for the first time until May, but can live year-round outside after that. Babies shouldnt go outside until theyre about 3", so they dont become bird food. If using an aquarium, a good rule of thumb is at least 10 gallons per inch of turtle (straight carapace length). So, a 6" turtle will need at least a 55 gallon aquarium.

For ideas on how to prepare an aquarium or pond, visit www.turtleforum.com to chat with other keepers. Review the slider care sheet to learn more about caring for a slider. http://nebula.wsimg.com/ae4cb36565545a257b1ff6f17a885dc2?AccessKeyId=A3E784782F81D21389AD&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
You can also get the book Red-Eared Sliders (Animal Planet Pet Care Library) (on Amazon or in some stores).

REQUEST AN ADOPTION APPLICATION from matts_adoptions@hotmail.com. Please INCLUDE YOUR CITY AND STATE when contacting MATTS. An application will be e-mailed to you. Once completed, the application can be returned, and if approved, youll then have to submit pictures of your set-up before picking up a turtle. We meet adopters in central locations such as Fells Point in Baltimore, MD, Parkton, MD, and York, PA, as we foster from our homes and do not have a central shelter. Shipping is possible if temperatures allow, if youre willing to pay for shipping, and if its legal to have a slider in your state.

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 dont buy hatchling turtles at vacation tourist spots. Its illegal in ALL 50 states to sell a turtle this small. Like turtles but cant have one? Want to help? MATTS accepts tax-deductible donations at MATTS, P.O. Box 341, Highland, MD 20777, or at https://www.matts-turtles.org/support.html.  We help over 100 displaced pet turtles a year!