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Posted by jsherps on April 16, 2003 at 22:51:26:

In Reply to: Re: new softshell posted by TurtleTom on April 16, 2003 at 20:11:27:

::well I hav much experience with turtles and I'm getting a florida softshell I realise their needs but I was just wondering what everyone thinks about them and does anyone have any pictures?
I think you might want to try a different softshell species first. I got a Fl softie as my first softshell turtle and well it didn't last too long. It quickly got sick and died. I now know with some help, what I did wrong and I'm probably going to get a hardier softshell species this weekend such as a spiny softshell. I would personally recommend a spiny before you get a Fl. Now that I'm done ranting about that.....LOL...next question....

how fast do they grow I hear fast but how fast?
The females will grow really fast in Fl softies. Their growth depends mainly on the type of food they are fed. Since food sticks are basically nutrient packed pellets, they will make a turtle grow faster than the more "natural" stuff. Since softshells are primarily carnivorous, they will do fine if they are fed fish and worms too. Back to growth, the males tend to grow slower when young about 2-3 inches a year for the first two-three years. The females on the other hand can grow up to 5 inches a year for the first two years of their lives.

and do they slow down in the winter?
They may or may not slow down in growth depending on your setup and what you feed them. If you keep them indoors, and keep a constant temp, their growth will stay steady throughout the year

Any more ?'s Email me at jandsherps@msn.com b/c I'm really not on this forum that much...

Jeff H.

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