Baby snapping turtles?

Question

We were walking down a busy road in september-october, and we found a horrible sight! there were atleast 50 smashed baby turtles. There were 3 living. Cars were going to run them over so we took them home. It seems they were bound to die because that seems a little late in season for baby turltes. We took 3 home, but DO NOT plan on keeping them because we think they are 3 baby snappers. They have long, alligator tails, and moss stuff on their shell, with little yellow dashes along their shell side. We put them in a tank and gave them food, they are eating but when can we get rid of them, what age are they ready to go? And where can we free them?

Answer 1

you better off giving them to animal control... they'll have a better idea where to release them.

Answer 2

For future reference, you should have just let them go in a safer location when you first found them. Snapping turtles don't hatch until late summer, so it was not really late in the season for them.
You can probably let them go when the spring weather starts to turn warm. The ideal place to release them is in a river, preferable in a slow moving section. They prefer deep sloughs, oxbow lakes, and deep, muddy pools of large rivers. A large stream or pond would also be acceptable but not ideal.

You can try looking up your state's conservation department on the web. Missouri's has a great website that features pictures of all the different species of wildlife found here. You may be able to more accurately identify your turtles that way.
If they turn out not to be snappers, please don't change your mind about setting them free. It's illegal to keep any type of wildlife as pets, without the proper permits. They'll probably be much happier in the wild.

Answer 3

make sure you feed them live food, such as little fish (guppies work well) and try not to handle them as much as possible. This way they don't get to used to humans and will know how to eat and hunt when they are in a pond. They sound like snappers though.

Try to find a lake or creek, but make sure you can see other snappers in the area (if there are other snappers already living there, you won't disturb the ecosystem).

Make sure you find an area away from roads, so they don't get close to death again, or babies they might have in the future.

Wait until they can hunt easily and are maybe 3 or 4 inches long (the shell, not tail)

good lcuk!

Answer 4

Let them go. Keeping snappers is illegal. Baby snappers are fine all by themselves, they dont need mom. Mom actually abandons them when she lays the eggs. They will be fine on their own. Next time, just move the babies if they in the way of danger to a safer place and then leave them as they are.

Answer 5

Sadly, it would not really help them to release them into the wild any more. Studies show that released turtles do not do well after a couple months in captivity (with a few exceptions, such as carefully managed sea turtle babies).

You might advertise them free to a good home at the local pet shops- they make good pets for people who like'em!

You can learn more at http://www.chelydra.org

Answer 6

Snapping turtles are usually quite independent at a young age, they just need to be safely released into a pond that will not dry up in the dry season, they can hunt and feed on solid food after they have fully hatched all by themselves. beware though, snapping turtles can bite and inflict severe injuries to nearby fingers, handle them with a net carefully.

Answer 7

i am not sure what are of the country where u live but if u not at all likly to freeze or snow u can put them in a pond or stream now but if u in the northern part of the states i would not let them go till about late march early april or rase them for a year or so then eat them is also an optation very good tasting

Answer 8

Yes, when I was a young child and we would vacation in Missouri then we would pick up adult snapping turtles. When we got home (Illinois) then we would set them free to roam the house as a pet (they made good pets.) Just be sure to leave a large flat plate of accesible water and a small fresh bunch of lettuce leaves around the floor. The only downside was that after a few years then suddenly we would smell something aweful. We then knew what happened and usually found a rotting turtle carcas under the couch (Ewww...)

Answer 9

take the turtles to animal control very soon but since it is the holidays keep them untill the nearest animal control center is open. it also is illegal to have snapping turtles so get ride of them soon. but dont let in the wild they may not surive and i dont think leting harmless turtles to die is very good. Well Good Luck And Merry Xmas!!

Answer 10

If they are snapping turtles you cannot keep them, its illegal. Take them to somehwere like your local audobon society (but the take care of birds, soo...). anyway, try someplace that wold know where you can send them to. Its important you get rid of them but make sure they don't die. A zoo, pet store, local animal preserve or soemthign would know more.

Answer 11

LOL.. lack of know-how is bliss... Sexing an animal ability determining that's gender. so a procedures as turles bypass, i really do not recognize. i'd call a vet and ask. For a number of you: through vet I propose a veterinarian. not a veteran.