I found a baby turtle-help-what do I do?

Question

On the lawn infront of my home I found a teenie-tiny turtle(his shell is about the size of a quarter)-I checked -it looks like this is a box turtle. I have researched-with turtle rehabs- to try to determine- what would be best for him-Some have told me to put him back where I found him-or close to that location(However, thats not an option-my lawn meets a busy road) So where- WOULD I put him ? --I have also been told NOT to put him out at all--that I should keep him(or find someone to-) until he gets bigger -then I can release him-maybe -into the woods-As you can see I'm getting conflicting reports- I would really like to give this little guy the best start I can-. What 'road' should I take to help out this small turtle?-Does anyone have any experience with this or any advice -I'd greatly appreciate it -Thank you!

Answer 1

I found two turtles on the same day within one hour of each other just driving down the road and each was in the street. I took them home. They are nice to one another and my good friend. just today i read on a website that turtles become very attached to their owners. i just got my turtles two weeks ago and have learned a lot of simple things you can do
1- take it outside every other day .
2-make a pond or shallow place for it to bath and drink twice daily at least for just 5 minutes
3-don't stress on food. they can go for up to 3 weeks without eating. it's going to take time to find goods that it likes. It could take weeks of experimenting.(they have favs just like kids) mine wouldn't touch strawberries, but liked banana and both love cooked chicken!!
4-they are very good pets, they don't bark, meow, rub on you, bite, nothing but love and appreciate you. Mine is bull-headed though (her way or the highway), but turtle knows what's best for turtle (this is my first pet turtle obviously and I'm learning that they aren't dolls
5-they shed every 4-6 weeks so don't freak if skin peels, turns slight colors during this time. but don't mistake for skin illness. time will tell
6-they pee when they drink so expect to get peed on
7-they love water
8-take them outside if they start acting lathargic, may just need a boost from the great outdoors.
9-don't feel guilty for keeping something wild. they become attached and don't believe it's their place to be elsewhere than with you, like babies, they love you. only easier to raise than kids. they don't even want to get away. i love my little turtles.

Answer 2

It sounds adorable! However, wild box turtles usually do not take well to captivity, especially babies like yours is. By removing it from the wild, you are also removing it from the breeding population; this is a MAJOR problem for wild box turtles because people take them as pets so often, and their populations are severely dwindling because of it. The best thing to do would be to return it to the wild--turtles keep the same territory their whole lives, so it may return to your neighborhood no matte where you put it, but you could try taking it to an area more in the wilderness. I once found a box turtle where a new 6-lane highway was being built, and I relocated it to a friend's yard next to a state park; they still see it sometimes and it's thriving.

Keeping it with the intention of releasing it someday is a terrible idea; not only could he die from the stress of being handled or refuse to eat in captivity, he will not learn how to find food in the wild and will likely starve when you release him. So my suggestion would be to release him in a wooded area away from any major roads. Good luck!

Answer 3

I have done several turtle rescues myself, but none with turtles so young. I place the turtles on the banks of an intermittent stream. I frequently see turtles that are about the same size in the stream weeks later (presumably the same turtles). I hope this helps inform your decision. My opinion is to find a stream or pond and release it on the banks. Returning the turtle to its natural ecosystem is the best option.

Mystic dreamer has a great point about checking out whether or not your turtle is native. If it is not, you absolutely do not want to introduce it to the ecosystem in your area. Your local county extension agent or a university would be able to help you determine where your critter is native.

Answer 4

While not cuddly like kitties or puppies, turtles do make excellent pets if properly cared for. Fortunately, they don't require much.

The can, however, live for decades - so a long-term commitment is necessary. Also, the can carry salmonella so always wash your hands immediately after handling it.

That said, is there a "wild" area close by - as in your neighborhood - that isn't close to busy streets etc.

Box turtles are territorial - that is, they don't do well if taken from their native place and released some distance away - they don't thrive - and babies are especially vulnerable. So if there's a wild place close by - that's where I'd release it.

But again, box turtles make excellent pets.

Answer 5

Depending on where you live, it could be illegal to keep the turtle.
For example: "No turtle or tortoise can be collected from the wild at anytime for any reason in NJ (Poaching carries fines up to $5000 dollars per animal and we prosecute aggressively those who we catch)"
http://aboxturtle.com/state_laws.htm

That website also has links for other states and their laws and restrictions.

I also know, from having worked with a biologist at the Avian Rehabilitation Center who also had a permit to rehabilitate injured wild turtles, that you can contract salmonella from turtles.

She always told people to leave the turtles where they are. If one is injured, do not touch it, contact someone from the state fish and game department, or a licensed rehabilitator who will come and get the turtle. If it is uninjured, it doesn't need anyone's help.

Answer 6

Assuming that it is an aquatic species (which it probably is), release it into the nearest shallow wetland. If you're sure it's a box turtle, release it into the woods. Baby box turtles are rarely found in the open.
Baby turtles have been doing fine for millions of years without humans raising them.

Answer 7

It's normal to find newly-hatched box turtles at this time of year. They spend the first few years of their life almost entirely underground, but sometimes you'll find them right after they hatched, before they've had a chance to dig a burrow.

In any case, box turtles are generally pretty easy to keep in captivity. I've kept about 10 of them at different times. (I've never had one as a permanent pet, but I've kept them for a couple weeks at a time, and they've always done well.)

If you don't want to keep him, then just release him where you found him. (Obviously you don't want him too close to a busy road, but you can use your good judgment for that.) Because he's so young, he's not gonna wander around a whole lot. Once he finds a suitable place to burrow, he'll be out of danger.

Releasing adult box turtles outside of their original territory is confusing for them because it's an unfamiliar area, but that really doesn't apply to your turtle. Since he just hatched, nothing is familiar to him! So if you feel more comfortable taking him somewhere else, he should be OK as long as it's good habitat. (A forested area with access to some kind of small stream is good.)

If you decide to keep him, he should be OK. Baby box turtles can be a lot different as far as how well they adapt to captivity. I had one that was devouring blackberries within a couple days of being caught, and then I had another one that refused to eat anything for about a week until I had to release him. In general, even a stubborn box turtle won't be able to resist blackberries... even if it won't eat anything else. They really have a fondness for blackberries. After about a week on nothing but blackberries, he should be accustomed to the captive life and will start eating other things.

Once he's adjusted and will eat other foods, you need to offer him live critters (rolie-polies, worms, small insects) because young turtles need that protein to help them grow.

If you do decide to keep him, keep track of his age. Nobody knows for sure how long box turtles can live. (There are reports of them living 60-70 years, but that's never been confirmed.) Your turtle is probably not more than a week old right now, so you can use that as a starting point.

Finally, there's nothing wrong with keeping him for a month or so and then releasing him. Foraging behavior in turtles is instinctive, so he's not going to forget how to find food. As I said, I've kept turtles on a short-term basis and then found the same turtles alive and well in my yard in following years.

Answer 8

I HAD A SITUATION LIKE THAT, I FOUND A BABY TURTLE IN THE ROAD IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND I PICKED HIM UP. I SAT WITH THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. I ENDED UP KEEPING THE TURTLE. I FIGURED THAT IT WAS BETTER THEN PUTTING IT BACK ON THE GROUND. MY LUCK, IT WOULD BE KILLED AS SOON AS I PUT THE BABY DOWN. I CARE FOR ANIMALS AND I DON'T WANT THAT. I TOOK IT TO A PET STORE AND ASKED ALL I COULD ABOUT THE TURTLE. WHAT IT NEEDS? ETC...I HAD THE TURTLE FOR 7 YEARS. THE BEST PET I EVER HAD. ALSO BECAUSE IT WAS USE TO ME FEEDING HIM AND THE HANDLING, THERE WAS NO WAY OF PUTTING HIM BACK TO NATURE WHEN HE GOT BIGGER. I FEARED HIM NOT BEING ABLE TO ADAPT FOR ME DOING EVERYTHING FOR HIM? WELL, GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE I HELPED!!!

Answer 9

if you do keep it till it gets bigger then dont release it in the wild.

it wont be able to find food. Just keep it. turtles are great pets.

Answer 10

Feed me the turtle I want to eat it