Pond made for my turtles...

15 years ago

Hey -

I've always thought a pond doesn't seem quite complete without a turtle (something about seeing a turtle basking on a log just completes the idyllic scene you want when visiting any body of water), as such I've been building water gardens for my turtles for around 12 years now. After having moved to Nebraska I had to make a new one and finally completed it. It now is home to my group of Emydoidea blandingii (Blanding's Turtles), a young Ornate Box turtle (Terrapene ornata), and a yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens).

Just some background so I don't get any attacks - I'm a Masters student in Biology at the University of Nebraska and have all the permits necessary to own these animals. The Blandings turtles were CB animals that I and a friend have been raising since they hatched in 1998. Hopefully I'll get some eggs out of them this year!

Hope you enjoy the shots

~Mike

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*Poor photograph of the yellow mud turtle foraging in the morning...

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Ornate box turtle..

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Cope's Gray Treefrogs that have taken up residence there...

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Comments (14)

oppalm
15 years ago
nicely done. great photos and best of luck with your turtles.
mikeygraz
Original Author
15 years ago
Thankyou Oppalm - its nice to see the animals behaving in a more natural way than if you kept them in aquariums. I have barely seen them since our heat has really increased - they just stick to the bottom of the pond where its a lot cooler. My neighbors must think I'm crazy when I go out there in the middle of the night with a headlamp to see what my turtles are doing!
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When I was a kid I used to play around the ponds in the winter.When the ice was thick enough to support my weight, I would walk out on it and could see turtles under the ice. They would move up to the shallows and bask in the warm sunlight that penetrated the ice. If my shadow was cast upon them they would very slowly swim to the deeper section of the pond and disappear into the darkness. It made me wonder if they ever actually hibernated, or if they just lived in slow motion as it became too cold for normal activity. By the way can any of you explain what "Normal Activity" is? Haha
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I've had turtles in my pond for several years. My turtles are Eastern Painted which is very similar to a Red-Eared Slider. I've never had any problems with the liner. The turtles will eat plants like lilies. They never destroyed my lilies, but many of the leaves have bites missing. They will also occasionally eat fish that are less than two inches. I feed my turtles reptile pellets from the pet store and various fruits and vegetables. They love watermelon and cherries. The turtles will leave your pond if they can and it is difficult to keep them in a pond since they are excellent climbers. I have my pond surrounded with plastic fencing supported by rocks. They will need an area to climb out of the water and bask in the sun. I would suggest keeping the turtles in the aquarium during the winter and in the pond during the summer. Wild turtles dig into the mud at the bottom of a lake or pond to survive the winter. Your turtles will not be able to do this and may die if the water temperature gets too cold.
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ItÂs been three weeks now and the snapper is doing fine. I have seen him several times moving around under the ice. When the pond is not frozen, he seems to be under some submerged plants out in the middle. The water quality is good, and my painted turtles in the front pond have survived several winters. I was able to account for all my fish last week. I also saw a frog at the bottom, so the snapper has not been eating everything. I have a large industrial net that can hold the turtle if I am lucky enough to get him. He seems to go to the same areas of the pond when it is iced over and I am hoping he starts to go there when it is thawed. I have a large tub with a lid that I have cut holes into. Once I have the turtle in the tub, there is a lake about 20 miles away that will be his new home. I have had many suggestions about baiting a hook or getting a trap, but I really donÂt want to risk harming the turtle, I just want him out of my pond.
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I asked about frost lines and a backhoe because if you are planning a permanent home for your turtle inside a greenhouse, it occured to me that sinking the tank into the ground to below the frost line would make good sense for both heat retention and the comfort of the turtle, as you would then be able to allow it free access to water or ground. It might be more pleasing to you too, as you could line the tank rim with decorative logs to serve as both ramps and basking spots, rocks, plants, etc. If the tank happens to be a stock tank with a bottom drain, you could retain the ability to use it by making a permanent connection to it with a PVC pipe, then install a ballcock shutoff on that line with a long extension to an above ground handle. But to do it obviously requires drain lines and with a small backhoe, in short order- you would have the hole for the tank, the trenches for the drains and if it's your only option to discharge the water other than a sewer or septic, either a long gray water line or dry well. BTW: What species of turtle do you have? A friend of mine here in very cold in winter No. Il keeps turtles in an in-ground pond inside of a heated GH. The herons got all of his fancy Goldfish, so he erected a GH over the 1000 gal. stock tank he had sunk into the ground and while planning new fish, succumbed instead to the charm of turtles.
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annedickinson
15 years ago
Mike,

The waterfall looks great with the water coming down it. What is the turtle next to the wire fence?

Anne
mikeygraz
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi Anne -
Thanks! That waterfall gave me some trouble...I still need to get a stronger pump for it so it has more flow. The turtle next to the perimeter of the fence is an Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata). Fun little girl that is ridiculously structured in her behavior - sleeps in the same spot every night despite having a very large enclosure to roam in, active and foraging early in the morning till about 11 am or so, then she buries in during the heat of the day, wakes up around 6 or so and walks around some more.
~Mike
buyorsell888
15 years ago
Wonderful. Great to see turtles in a pond built especially for them and kept by someone prepared for their needs. They are cute but aren't the easiest of pets.
julieb8466
15 years ago
Wow Mike, that looks fantastic. I am originally from Omaha (live in the Dallas area now). I have family still there.
mikeygraz
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks all - I appreciate the comments. Turtles certainly aren't the easiest of animals to keep properly in the long-term, and the best way I think is to build them enclosures outdoors (its also a lot more fun and gives you an excuse to dig a hole and remove more lawn!).

I am eager to see how it evolves and which plants do what...I am really hoping the lilies will take off soon since they were planted directly into the soil. I am also eager to see what my Pickerel Rush does, and the Graceful Cattails...also with a little luck I might be finding little hatchling turtles in there in another month or so, as I think some of my females are gravid (with eggs)

~Mike
clyft
15 years ago
oooh, i'm jealous. i want a pond and turtles! have you had troubles with predators?
mikeygraz
Original Author
15 years ago
Its awfully enjoyable...the main differences with a turtle pond a fish pond is that (unless you have a VERY well fenced in yard) you have to build a small fence around the pond to keep the turtles from leaving. You also have to take into account that turtles aren't the most gentle of animals on your plants - so you'll really have to pack a lot of plants in there to keep your pond looking nice. A lot of the commonly available turtles are highly omnivorous and will just tear apart any of the plants you put in there. Redear sliders (Trachemys scripta) and Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) are the ones most commonly sold (and the cheapest) and they both love to snip water lilies off...but if you've got enough you can make a very nice pond. I'll include a photo of an old pond I had that housed some painted turtles and a slider - the key to keeping the pond looking nice is to keep small numbers of turtles in there. My old pond was around 2500 gallons and it only had 3 turtles in there...to give you an idea.

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indycat
15 years ago
I have been thinking about turtles and understand the additonal work. I was wondering how you overwinter the turtles that you have?
kingfish
14 years ago
just wondering how many of you guys have overwinterd and in what zones..
type of turtles...did you create any winter habatat for them
buyorsell888
14 years ago
Oh, love that "old" pond. The plants look soooo natural.
hawkiefriend
14 years ago
Love your pond(s)! And I've always loved turtles. We are new to ponding so choosing to stick with frogs at this point. Your little friends look very content.

There was this "Turtle Man" in Orange County, CA. He would allow tours and field trips to his house, where he had bought a double suburban lot and filled the entire thing (but a bit for his own house) with pens and enclosures and ponds for turtles and tortoises. He had really dedicated his life to them. He took in all sorts of unwanted tortoises and turtles; he had some from zoos and some from Michael Jackson.

I hear he passed away. I wonder what became of all those turtles. :(
amalgamation
14 years ago
What a gorgeous pond and cute turtles! The old pond was great too! The way you planted both of them looks so natural. Lucky turtles :)

Here in AZ, I don't know what turtles would do in the heat so we have to be satisfied with our yearly visits from Spadefoot Toads that croak like angry goats ;P

Pond made for my turtles...

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Pond made for my turtles...

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