Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i caught 4 western pond turtles and have looked at a website with map ranges of speicies native to california, as it says they are common. I was in the turtle 'diet' section asking what do these turtles eat, getting usual replys then someone says that they are 'extremely endangered' and considered 'illegal' in california. Can someone varify this with a certified website/rescource? If they are, what should i do? Who should i contact to let know where i found a good source of these turtles? this is the first time i've ever heard of these turtles that we here, where i live in california, see almost every day. two people have told me about this being illegal. can someone explain the law if there is one? thanks a million. o btw, if they are illegal, i will make sure to release them. I didnt know when i caught them, im under 18 for heavens sake!

thankyou to the person who sent that email with the link to http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/cgi-bin/more_info.asp?idKey=ssc_tespp&specy=reptiles&query=Clemmys marmorata
so they are not extremely indangered, nor considored indangered or threatened. The website, or atleast what i read, didnt say any laws of possessing this turtle. Did i miss something in the article? are they legal to keep? should i call the wildlife society and have them keep them? i dont think that canal is a very good home, you gotta remember, its a canal, not a creak, theres trash and glass and garbage everywhere

Clemmys (Actinmeys) marmorata is a listed species of Special Concern in California, and it is illegal to take any of them without special permit. So please put them back where you found them, even if you think it is not very good habitat.
By the way, if you are 16 or over, you are required to have a fishing license of take any rpetiles or amphibians. When you get your license they will give the a booklet telling you which species, and how many, you may possess.

im not putting them back in the water , ive already concluding that. im calling the california turtle and tortise society and having them rescue it. and im under 16

The turtles you caught appear to have been doing fine in the canal where you caught them. You are deliberately in violation of the law and are liable as such. The turtle and tortoise society is not legally exempt either. In California it is not only illegal to catch Western Pond Turtles it is illegal to HAVE them without an academic permit. I am assuming you want to do the right thing here and people are trying to help you. Your only legal alternative is to release them where found. It cannot be over emphasized that they should be returned to the canal they came from.
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Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps

alright ive made my mind. im releasing them tonight. should i mark there undersides?

No, you definitely should not mark them in any way.
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Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps

In case you haven't figured this out yet, don't tell anyone you had them, and definitely DO NOT tell a wildlife rescue or government agency, because you will be in big legal trouble whether you're a minor or not. And in the future, you're alot better off using google than posting stuff like this on the internet.
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LONG LIVE METAL!!!!

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