Help with Turtle.

[reptilife]

I have recently been given a turtle as a 'last resort' before her owners moved interstate.
I was not home to receive the turtle and her previous owners can't be contacted at this time.
I am unsure what to feed it? I know red meat is not good for them, but it wont take turtle pellets and I can't go catching yabbies for it etc.
What do you recommend I feed it? I don't care what it costs, but would rather lean toward convenience so long as I do the turtle no harm.
Can they be fed sardines in water?

 

[reptilife]

bucky thanks for the reply.
For now, I have sunk a large tub in my lizard enclosure. It's not filtered, so will be emptied and replaced regularly (I know clean water is very important to them!)
It is able to climb out and bask at will.
It is an Eastern Long-necked .
Carapace about 15-20 centimeters in length, so a few years maybe.
Also, will I need to offer somewhere to brumate or will it bury itself?

 

[JAS101]

i feed my long necks crickets , roaches , garden worms , home made turtle food [ with kangaroo meat, fish , peas corn , ect , ect ]
u know it wont beable to go outside [ if u had any plans to put it out soon] until the weather starts to warm up / after winter . as it might not be used to the cold weather and u may end up killing it .
as for it being 15-20 cm carapce then its over 10 - 15 years old as they grow very slow compard to short necks .

 

[reptilife]

i feed my long necks crickets , roaches , garden worms , home made turtle food [ with kangaroo meat, fish , peas corn , ect , ect ]
u know it wont beable to go outside [ if u had any plans to put it out soon] until the weather starts to warm up / after winter . as it might not be used to the cold weather and u may end up killing it .
as for it being 15-20 cm carapce then its over 10 - 15 years old as they grow very slow compard to short necks .

Thanks Jas101. The turtle had been outside already and I have it outside now.
Should I supply a nesting box for it?

 

[-Peter]

As winter is approaching your turtle will stop feeding. It will probably leave the water and look for a spot to sleep out winter. This will give you plenty of time to research the requirements. There is a turtle specific forum that you could google. Carapace size in a pet turtle is inconclusive. A well fed turtle of that size could be anything from 3 years upwards.

 

[sesa-sayin]

if it is living outside, and gets plento of light, then, of course, u don,t need that u v light...if u keep it inside, and don,t want the expense of a uv tube, u will have to take it outside for half - hour, each other day, or so....shade outside will give the uv ,if, sun is not there, but u will still need the basking light inside.i take mine out, each other dayand don,t use uv tube, including Fitzroy turtle, and dharras, and Mary river....b