No, I'm not from Cali. I have just read and studied about these and other turtles since I was first able to pick up a book. I absolutely LOVE the Western Pond turtle, and others like it. It's a passion of mine.



I would go ahead and still release these turtles immediately! No matter how dirty the water is, it cannot compare to how dirty the water in captive conditions gets...even under the best of circumstances and filtration. Keeping them in the wild, at least the populations have a fighting chance. Keeping them removed, the population is at risk. The biggest risk to captive, wild caught, adult turtles is stress. Stress will kill a turtle as fast or faster than dirty water (in my humble opinion). Please release them.



They are not "endangered", according to the normal definition of the term. They are a species of special concern in CA. Basically, there are factors that are leading them in the direction of being endangered. In Oregon, they are endangered. The Federal government has yet to classify them. It's all sematics. Basically, they are considered to be in trouble. Consequently, there are laws against possessing them, capturing them, or even destroying their habitat. These classifications can be debated. The main thing for you to keep in mind is...you could get in trouble for having them.



You could spend a while searching this wonderful site below. I believe that there is some contact information. Hopefully, you'll get a knowledgeable person at the other end. Beware though, sometimes rescue organizations will take turtles in that should be released.

California Turtle and Tortoise Club

http://www.tortoise.org/

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