Box Turtle Dilemma

[cyan]

I found this guy in my hatchling enclosure when I got home from running some errands today. Someone would have had to have put him in there and this is the only enclosure that is outside the fenced yards and accessible from the driveway. My baby was inside so this enclosure was empty and I know it was empty last night also.

I am not very familiar with box turtles, but I am pretty sure it is a male Eastern. My dilemma is, do I let him go on my property or keep him? I don't know for sure if this is truly a wild turtle or someone's pet that they dumped here. I worry about winter being so close and if was a pet, would he be able to survive it? He was not dirty and his shell is in perfect shape.
Any suggestions are welcome!

The enclosure he was found in.

The handsome fella...

Thanks!
Cyndi

 

[Yvonne G]

Since you have no way of knowing where he came from, wild or pet, I would not let him go. If a box turtle is to be returned to the wild, he needs to be set down fairly close to where he came from. If not, he runs into quite a bit of trouble trying to find his way home.

 

[luvpetz27]

He is gorgeous!! I have a male eastern that looks a lot like him!! Does he seem friendly and not afraid of you? He probably was a pet. He does not seem afraid in the picture. I would probably keep him!! I love EBT's!!! Its your choice tho. He really looks like a sweet guy!

Any idea who left him at your place?

 

[cyan]

Thanks! I will keep him here then. I sectioned off an area of my elongated yard and have him in there for now. We are dropping into the high 50s at night now, do I need to bring him in? I bring all of mine in at night. He has a house with about 8 inches of mulch in it that he can go into but no heat. Right now he is under a large hosta.

He is a beautiful turtle! I have no idea who left him here. I'm at the end of a dead end dirt road and surrounded by 500 acres of woods and pasture so, who knows! Lots of "things" get dumped around here. He seems to be fairly comfortable with me handling him.

 

[wellington]

KEEP HIM KEEP HIM , NAME HIM INTRUDER . Hehehehe
Don't forget to extend those shed designs to include your new boxie friend

 

[Moozillion]

He's BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

[TigsMom]

I'm just beginning to learn about these apparent Tortoise & Turtle Fairy's that leave shelled critters on peoples door steps. Thinking I need a small enclosure in my front yard along with a questionnaire about the background of the shelled creature for the Tortoise/Turtle Fairy to fill out and leave when he/she deposits a shelled critter for me. LOL Seems alot of members here have been visited by a Tortoise/Turtle Fairy.

 

[terryo]

If you plan to let him hibernate outside, you need to make a sheltered spot in your yard with some loose soil and lots of leaf litter for him to dig under and be protected from the cold weather. Make sure it's on higher ground, in case of heavy rain so he won't drown.