Found a baby turtle

[Rubyfryk]

So I have no idea how the turtle got into my driveway, the nearest water is a mile and a half away… but anyhow he was there. I’m pretty sure he’s a River Cooter Turtle. Long story short, I brought him inside because my son LOVES turtles and I planned to release him but I’m pretty sure he got really stressed out or something from us or from maybe whatever carried him to my driveway or just al of it, and started getting sick, so I went and bought hundreds of dollars of turtle stuff to nurse him back to heath…. and he seems a lot better now. The question is though, can I still go release him now that he isn’t ill and at least has a chance of surviving? Or is it not a good idea? I have seriously considered just keeping him… I am thinking about serval years from now when I have a huge turtle though and wouldn’t a huge turtle rather be in a pond..? Can I release it into the small pond in my yard when he is several years old and just still feed him daily? Idk what to do. What is my best option, what is best for the turtle at this point? I really want the turtle to live lol, I was all set to release him but then realized he didn’t look so well and I couldn’t send him off like that.

 

[DoubleD1996!]

How long have you had him?Turtles will travel a distance to reach a body if water. The moms wonder when they lay eggs, and the babies usually/sometimes, are stimulated by rain to hatch and travel.

 

[wellington]

If you can't provide for him when he's full grown or out grows the aquarium then your best bet would be to release him as long as you haven't had him for months.

 

[EppsDynasty]

So I have no idea how the turtle got into my driveway, the nearest water is a mile and a half away… but anyhow he was there. I’m pretty sure he’s a River Cooter Turtle. Long story short, I brought him inside because my son LOVES turtles and I planned to release him but I’m pretty sure he got really stressed out or something from us or from maybe whatever carried him to my driveway or just al of it, and started getting sick, so I went and bought hundreds of dollars of turtle stuff to nurse him back to heath…. and he seems a lot better now. The question is though, can I still go release him now that he isn’t ill and at least has a chance of surviving? Or is it not a good idea? I have seriously considered just keeping him… I am thinking about serval years from now when I have a huge turtle though and wouldn’t a huge turtle rather be in a pond..? Can I release it into the small pond in my yard when he is several years old and just still feed him daily? Idk what to do. What is my best option, what is best for the turtle at this point? I really want the turtle to live lol, I was all set to release him but then realized he didn’t look so well and I couldn’t send him off like that. View attachment 368158View attachment 368159

Sounds like you have already had him to long to release. Just as you at first wanted the best for him, now you need that same attitude. He can not be released so you need to either do what needs to be done to keep, or do what needs to be done to find a forever home. When you make the choice of bringing a wild animal into your home it's a forever deal, you cannot think of it as a "O just till he gets better." Good luck

 

[wellington]

Sounds like you have already had him to long to release. Just as you at first wanted the best for him, now you need that same attitude. He can not be released so you need to either do what needs to be done to keep, or do what needs to be done to find a forever home. When you make the choice of bringing a wild animal into your home it's a forever deal, you cannot think of it as a "O just till he gets better." Good luck

Except, Im starting to think turtles is an exception when babies mostly. They have not established a territory yet and sea turtles are released all the time after being rescued and rehabbed for months. In fact a lot of tortoises and turtles are hatched and raised to a certain size and then released back into the wild to reestablish a wild population.

 

[EppsDynasty]

Except, Im starting to think turtles is an exception when babies mostly. They have not established a territory yet and sea turtles are released all the time after being rescued and rehabbed for months. In fact a lot of tortoises and turtles are hatched and raised to a certain size and then released back into the wild to reestablish a wild population.

This done without the proper bio security issues and by the general population is not a good thing and should never be done. We have Western Pacific Pond Turtles (Ca only native turtle) that were found near the river and taken to the animal shelter. Once in human hands they are NEVER allowed back into the wild population. She wanted to save the turtle and help .... now she has to do exactly that. If she wanted it to live in the wild she should of left it near a body of water and let mother nature do her thing.

 

[TammyJ]

I see both points of view here. If it was me I would keep him or find another good owner for him.

 

[wellington]

This done without the proper bio security issues and by the general population is not a good thing and should never be done. We have Western Pacific Pond Turtles (Ca only native turtle) that were found near the river and taken to the animal shelter. Once in human hands they are NEVER allowed back into the wild population. She wanted to save the turtle and help .... now she has to do exactly that. If she wanted it to live in the wild she should of left it near a body of water and let mother nature do her thing.

I understand and used to think the same way. But when thinking back as a kid, neighbors of mine and myself, would collet turtles , keep them for the weekend and let them go. This while camping. My neighbors would bring them home, keep them for a while then let them go. I'm not so convinced that it is as big a safety issue as humans want to make it out to be. If done in large quantities yes, a turtle here and there, Im not convinced.
Mixing species in ones care then releasing or putting them in an area they are not usually found, that's a different story.
I do wish people would do research first before taking in a turtle/tortoise. Everyone has internet on their phones. Realizing it's not always the best thing to do. However, a sick or injured one should always be helped.

 

[EppsDynasty]

@wellington ... I agree with "if sick it should be helped" but that's the end of the road for said wild animal, the wild road that is. The fact that so many people do it does not make the threat less, in fact it makes it worse because then the attitude is "everybody does it." Again once in human care it is just wrong to release it, what if this turtle takes back to the wild a disease and kills countless other animals. Do you just say "well all kinds of campers do it, o well," I doubt it.

 

[TammyJ]

It's a very complex and interesting subject. Individual stories don't prove a point sometimes. Speaking subjectively, if I found an endangered Jamaican boa on the road, that would be it for the rest of its life, because releasing it would greatly lower its chances of survival due to human predators, who fear, hate and chop them to pieces. Circumstances alter cases.

 

[Rubyfryk]

How long have you had him?Turtles will travel a distance to reach a body if water. The moms wonder when they lay eggs, and the babies usually/sometimes, are stimulated by rain to hatch and travel.

I’ve had him for about a week, the closest river is about a mile and a half away but I suppose there has to be some sort of body of water closer than that. I live in an extremely populated, busy area though there is no possible way he would have ever mad it to any body of water he could permanently live in from my drive way he’d have to pass so many roads.

 

[Rubyfryk]

I understand and used to think the same way. But when thinking back as a kid, neighbors of mine and myself, would collet turtles , keep them for the weekend and let them go. This while camping. My neighbors would bring them home, keep them for a while then let them go. I'm not so convinced that it is as big a safety issue as humans want to make it out to be. If done in large quantities yes, a turtle here and there, Im not convinced.
Mixing species in ones care then releasing or putting them in an area they are not usually found, that's a different story.
I do wish people would do research first before taking in a turtle/tortoise. Everyone has internet on their phones. Realizing it's not always the best thing to do. However, a sick or injured one should always be helped.

I do wish I would have done the research first too! I have spent the past week up until literally 5 am every night googling turtle info and feeling guilty for ever messing with him. I guess now that I have him though I gotta keep him, which isn’t that big of a deal. I just wanted to do what was best, and if that’s best that’s what I’ll do. I better start looking for huge aquariums lol

 

[jeff kushner]

I better start looking for huge aquariums lol

Another convert..............LOL, while we generally don't advise or suggest ever taking from the wild, it happens, it happened, time to get set for your future!


So, what are you going to name your new little friend?


Best of luck,
jeff

 

[Yvonne G]

You said you have a small pond in your backyard? That would be fine for after he outgrows your aquarium. But you'd have to acclimate him to living outside, you can't just dump him out there. Maybe something like put him out in the a.m. for an hour or so, then back in the house, extending the outdoor time every so often.

 

[Rubyfryk]

Another convert..............LOL, while we generally don't advise or suggest ever taking from the wild, it happens, it happened, time to get set for your future!


So, what are you going to name your new little friend?


Best of luck,
jeff

My three year old son is insistent on “turtle” and my sister likes “tortellini” but I haven’t decided yet, I gotta get to know him lol 😂

Another convert..............LOL, while we generally don't advise or suggest ever taking from the wild, it happens, it happened, time to get set for your future!


So, what are you going to name your new little friend?


Best of luck,
jeff

 

[Rubyfryk]

You said you have a small pond in your backyard? That would be fine for after he outgrows your aquarium. But you'd have to acclimate him to living outside, you can't just dump him out there. Maybe something like put him out in the a.m. for an hour or so, then back in the house, extending the outdoor time every so often.

Okay that is awesome news! I just feel like they’d be happier outdoors, so if there is a way I can eventually get them into that pond even if it’s just while it’s during the warm months that’d be awesome. I’ll have to look more into it when the time comes, I’m assuming that will be years and years down the road though

 

[Yvonne G]

Birds fly high with turtles then drop them on the cement to crack them open. Yours was lucky. He didn't crack.

 

[Rubyfryk]

Birds fly high with turtles then drop them on the cement to crack them open. Yours was lucky. He didn't crack.

Oh my gosh, super lucky that had to be a high fall for such a little turtle! I honestly thought this could have been what happened but wasn’t sure

 

[myk]

I understand and used to think the same way. But when thinking back as a kid, neighbors of mine and myself, would collet turtles , keep them for the weekend and let them go. This while camping. My neighbors would bring them home, keep them for a while then let them go. I'm not so convinced that it is as big a safety issue as humans want to make it out to be. If done in large quantities yes, a turtle here and there, Im not convinced.
Mixing species in ones care then releasing or putting them in an area they are not usually found, that's a different story.
I do wish people would do research first before taking in a turtle/tortoise. Everyone has internet on their phones. Realizing it's not always the best thing to do. However, a sick or injured one should always be helped.

I'm for releasing it back in the wild, it knows instinctively what it needs to do,,,once wild Always wild, it's healthy,

 

[wellington]

I do wish I would have done the research first too! I have spent the past week up until literally 5 am every night googling turtle info and feeling guilty for ever messing with him. I guess now that I have him though I gotta keep him, which isn’t that big of a deal. I just wanted to do what was best, and if that’s best that’s what I’ll do. I better start looking for huge aquariums lol

Hey, we all at some point wish we would have searched before doing something lol
It sounds like you will be a great turtle parent, so don't feel guilty. We don't have the exact of how he got on your driveway. Without you intervening, he may have never survived getting back to where he needed to be.
At least we know he has a great chance at a good life now.