Look what a bird dropped at my front door

[AustinASU]

Rescued this fresh hatchling today in the front yard, he has his egg tooth and all still. Thank goodness I scared the bird away, I had no idea he had this little guy in his mouth. I plan on keeping him, i've got his set-up all ready and he's loving it. Now i've got to get the little bugger to eat. Im still trying to determine the species I believe it's a cooter or a yellow belly, but I didn't want to stress the little guy out anymore today so i've let him do his thing today.

 

[sibi]

Wow, that was literally left at your front door. This means he was not meant to die then at the mouth of a bird. Do you have other water turtles? I' look him up, but I think you may be right. It looks like a cooter to me.

 

[AustinASU]

No i don't have any other water turtles, I used too a few years back and one of my friends bought my collection from me. I wish I never had got rid of my baby alligator snapper

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Kinda magical that that happened. I mean, the chances? Neato. : )

 

[sibi]

Aw, well, it looks like you're getting back to water turtles, ay? Too bad about the baby alligator snapper. In my state, I believe it's illegal to import/export them, or even to possess them. I found a gulf coast box turtle still with his egg tooth too. Unfortunately, i had him for 4 months when I decided to put a heat pad in his enclosure because he always felt cold. I didn't realize that he was getting too heated and one morning, I went to pick him up and he was dead. He cooked to death. I have a reeves turtle which is semi-aquatic for 25 years now. I never had a boxie, and I had to read up on them, but nothing I read told me not to give them a heating pad because they don 't know how quickly they can dehydrate and if left to their own, they'll slowly heat to death. The sad part is that I didn't know either.

 

[AustinASU]

I know it's really weird but i see it as fate. Haha yeah I might, but like everything I do I make sure it's slow and well planned before I make another commitment. Awww man, yeah they don't post the warnings about heatpads with torts. The good thing is you know now and you can teach others about this.

 

[wellington]

Great save. Glad he didn't become a meal. I think this does mean you are suppose to have water turtles again. How else would the little guy find you and not someone else. Hey, maybe the bird was delivering him to you

 

[Anthony P]

The photos are obviously tough to make out, especially without the little one pulling his head out from his shell. I can say with certainty, that it does not appear to be any of the other Texas species, of the Genera, Pseudemys, Dermochelys, Graptemys, Terrepene, Malaclemys, etc.

I will say though, that this turtles carapace markings appear to be consistent with the Big Bend Slider or Trachemys gaigeae. This is a special turtle indeed, one that we do not see very often at all.

I thought they were protected by the federal Endangered Species Act, and thought they would be covered by Texas law at the very least. However, I have just checked my sources and have not been able to find any laws that do protect them. I would welcome anyone who knows the laws concerning this species to please speak up, so that Austin can stay on the right side of the law and ensure he is not breaking any.

 

[Momof4]

I wonder if I could tell my husband that a bird dropped a RF in our yard? Hmmm?

I'm always amazed when people have turtles just show up in their yards. So cool!

 

[AustinASU]

Anthony i think your 100% correct on the species, heres a link of a hatchling...and literally everything looks the same.http://www.chelonia.org/TsgaigeaeDS3.jpg

Momo haha, hey it could work

 

[Anthony P]

I sent an email to Steve, our resident turtle law expert. He is really sharp, whereas I just kind of remember things here and there. He will give us definite confirmation on what the federal and state laws are concerning these guys.

I did check resources for both state and federal legislation on turtles, and did not find them listed, but I am just questioning my own detective work and want the confirmation, if that makes sense.

 

[ScottishFish]

Fingers crossed you can keep him then. Can you keep us updated on his progress and tank set up


'Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white, then melts forever'
~Robert Burns - Tam O' Shanter

0.0.1 Testudo hermanni boettgeri

 

[Anthony P]

Looks like you can keep it if you want to. They are listed at Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, Texas limits the commercial collection of them, and they are not listed by the federal Endangered Species Act. I guess I was seeing everything right, but I just didn't want to believe it....

They probably should be protected from collection, but add them to the list of animals that should be. Spotted Turtles still aren't protected in CT, which angers me to no end, and it looks like TX is in the same type of spot with this species.

 

[SpdTrtl]

What a story! That is one lucky turtle!

 

[sueb4653]

was the bird a stork? what a lucky thing for the little turtle

 

[AustinASU]

It is a shame, I haven't even seen one of these guys before in my area. I've always found little red ears and stink pots but nothing like this. I'd like to continue caring for this little guy and let him grow in a pest free habitat. I am totally against taking animals out of the wild, but under the circumstances I have made him a home here. Thats so sad that the spotted turtles have become so endangered.....and that doesn't make any sense why CT wouldn't go along with the rest of the states

I'm still getting stuff for his tank at the moment (decorations more than anything), but i plan to do a lightly planted tank, and i'm trying to find some sort of floating plant that can withstand small currents. Duck weed is okay but is better for stagnate water....any suggestive tips?

---

Also the bird that had him in its mouth was a grackle.

---

It is a shame, I haven't even seen one of these guys before in my area. I've always found little red ears and stink pots but nothing like this. I'd like to continue caring for this little guy and let him grow in a pest free habitat. I am totally against taking animals out of the wild, but under the circumstances I have made him a home here. Thats so sad that the spotted turtles have become so endangered.....and that doesn't make any sense why CT wouldn't go along with the rest of the states

I'm still getting stuff for his tank at the moment (decorations more than anything), but i plan to do a lightly planted tank, and i'm trying to find some sort of floating plant that can withstand small currents. Duck weed is okay but is better for stagnate water....any suggestive tips?

---

Also the bird that had him in its mouth was a grackle.

---

Still can't get a shot of him with his head out but here's some more pictures of him this morning.

 

[Redari]

So tiny! His underside has such pretty patterns. What good luck that he landed in your yard and not someone else's.

 

[AustinASU]

Thank you redari, and I cannot begin to think the odds of the turtle coming to me.

 

[Moozillion]

OMG- that is amazing and WONDERFUL! I agree- Fate is at work here!

 

[sibi]

What a special turtle you have. Make sure you take good care of him. Keep us posted