Turtles in our Rivers?

[sluicerat]

Having just 'rescued' some musk turtles from someone who was keeping them in a 12" goldfish tank in 4" of liquid poo ... I then visited several aquatic centres to organise a set up for them, and was suprised to see them selling turtles ... which were not being kept in ideal circumstances
Some years back I rescued 2 red ear turtles, again from an owner, who had no idea how to look after them ,, a 3rd was given to me ,, my turtles lived indoors, but on sunny days would go outside in a fenced pond and basking area ..
One of the red ears did sadly escape (they are good climbers). You can imagine my surprise when he reappeared 3 months later .. I can only assume he had survived in the river at the side of our house.
There is talk that there are snappers in our local river ,, and I have seen reports of turtles being seen or retrieved from our waterways ...
Has anyone seen turtles in rivers/ponds etc near them ?

[Jason Claxton]

Hi Sluicerat

Yes,plenty of sightings near me of Red-eared Terrapins, also, David C.Wareham says in the Reptiles and Amphibians of Dorset that "nowadays one is more likely to see a terrapin than a Water Vole."

Jason.

[dampflippers]

Yes, I have seen them in ponds and a river near me.
Unfortunately many are illegally dumped by owners (I accept yours escaped and you are one of the good guys), and being so predatory they can really badly affect the ecology of a pond or watercourse, eating everything in sight.
It's a really bad problem, and a difficult one to solve.

[jamesthornton]

Angler reels in giant U.S. alligator snapping turtle while fishing at a lake in Birmingham | Mail Online

I remember this from a while ago. If it's true, which it probably is, about the owner dumping it because it grew too big, how long do you think it was living in that lake? I don't know how fast these things grow, but I can't imagine this type of person keeping one for very long!

[dampflippers]

A quick google shows terrapins living 30 years.....

[dampflippers]

And alligator snapping turtles 150 years.

[htcdude]

Have seen Terrapins in several places round here.

Stocker's Lake in Rickmansworth (Herts)
Little Britain Lake in West Drayton (Middx)
Grand Union Canal in Hayes (Middx)
and in places along the River Thames

Nige

[The Woodman]

In a similar thread by Noz I commented, "I've seen small red-eared terrapins basking with larger specimens in the Bridgewater Canal in the Runcorn area and also at Hempstead on the Gloucester Sharpness Canal. These were not hatchling size but larger, I've not had the opportunity to have another look but small terrapins are so well camouflaged until that final moment when they plop into the water." refering to potential breeding sites.

I've also seen them in Bank House Fly Fishery, Caton; River Lune, Halton (caught on worm bait) and Castle Head Fishery, Grange over Sands.

[~T~]

They have been found in the river clyde and the forth and clyde canal from time to time so they must be pretty tough

[AndrewA123]

large (6" plus Across) sized turtles/terrapins used to be regularly caught by fisherman at a course fishery I used to frequent in Ryton, Tyne & Wear.