Reptile & Amphibian Forums

About 6 months ago I found a small painted turtle on a sidewalk near a pond. I took it home and added it to my vivarium which also housed guppies and two fire-bellied toads.

I may be needing to tear down my vivarium for good, and I was wondering if anyone knew of any problems with diseases that my turtle might have caught from the toads. I want to return the turtle to a pond, but I also don't want to infect the pond with anything.

Suggestions?

I know some forum people won't agree with me but I say return him to the pond now while there's still time to find a place to hibernate. I'm not a biologist but I would be more concerned with what your toads might have got from the turtle than the other way around.
Bob, Philadelphia.

many amphibians have mild toxic skin secretions and fire bellied toads are famous for the strength of theirs (other than the pickeral frog and the cane toad, few are better known for this characteristic)so in general it is suggested that fire bellies not be kept with anything else...
But since you have done it there is little to do. However after six months, and an important early six months in the turtle's life, of being kept by a human and provided with food, I think its a pretty safe bet that this turtle will not do well in the wild now. I think it would be pretty irresponsible to release it. Set up a tank for painted turtles and keep it until you can find someone who is willing to take it as an adoption. I'm sure this list and/or turtlehomes have people more than able to accomodate another painted.