California Turtle & Tortoise Club

Common Questions

(1) I found/saw/bought/acquired a turtle and need help identifying it

Do you think it is a wild turtle?  Do you live in an area where turtles occur naturally?  The CTTC Links page has links to turtle checklists, listed by state and region.  Does the turtle look like any in the Turtle Gallery?

Did the turtle come from a pet store or was it found wandering in a city street and could be an escaped pet?  The vast majority of turtles in the pet trade in the United States are sliders or box turtles.  Slidersand box turtles show tremendous variation in color and shape. Does the turtle look like any of those in the Turtle Gallery?

Still stumped? Send us your question. Be sure to include the city, state or country where you are located, and a brief description of where the turtle came from or was seen. Describe the turtle's size; shell color, pattern, and shape; skin color and pattern; eye color; tail length; and if the hind feet are webbed or not?

(2) How do I care for my turtle?

Turtles require special care to thrive.  Background care information, including care-sheets, can be found on the General Information page.  More specific information on care of particular kinds of turtle can be found by browsing the Turtle Gallery and Chelonian Archives sections.

(3) What sex is my turtle?

It can be difficult to sex turtles unless they are full grown.  If you know what species the turtle is, look for articles listed on the Chelonian Archives page.

(4) How big? How old? How fast? Strange Facts and Oddball Questions

Read the Turtle Trivia section.  Someone may have already asked.

Still Stumped?