Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Last Week I rescued a turtle from the road, for details please see:

http://www.gctts.org/bbs/messages/557.html

It appears to be either a cooter or slider. It has many physical characteristics in common with both but it's so dark it's hard to tell. It was found about 100 yards from a creek heading to an open field of grasses. It has nibbled on offered tomatoes, but seems to like feeding in water.

I have been keeping it in an outdoor atrium 14X14foot there is a mix of sun and shade, grass and open walkway. I have buried plastic boxes with water and it does soak and feed in them (ReptoMin). It's favorite is to hide in the tall grasses though, this is where it spends the most time. It does not like people, I don't know if that's likely to change. I'm concerned its cruel to keep it in close proximity with people.

I have a 100 gallon pond (Triangular, 6*4 feet, 18 inch depth at depest) planned in the atruim, with biofilters, plants and a waterfall. Would this be adequate in your opinion, for either a slider or cooter? I have enough materials and space to put in a 400 gallon pond max. I will start construction tonight.

While I would love to keep the turtle, I'm not sure it's the best thing for it. I need expert advice on what the best thing is. I see my options as follows:

1)Rerelease where I found it, and hope it stays away from the road from now on.

2)Find a rehab center and take it there.

3)keep it with the 100 gallon pond plan.

4)keep it with a 400 gallon pond. Note the 400 Gallon pond option will take much of the grasses away from her habitat.

Any input would be appreciated. If I should rerelease it or find a turtle rehab center, I'll be interested in adopting a semi-aquatic turtle, as I've definetely caught the bug.

The turtle is an aquatic turtle for sure. Where do you live, and do you have any pics of the plastron and the head? If the turtle is not injured then I would just release it somewhere where there are not many roads. Chances are that its a gravid female that was going to lay eggs. So release it as soon as possible so she can lay her eggs. It could kill her if she holds them in to long. Hope this helps,
Chris D.
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Hey mine name is Chris and I currently have 1.0 Midland Painted, 1.0 YBS, and 0.2 Leopard geckos.
This is my female.

She was found in Suburbia. I've read that turtles have home ranges and can travel many miles to reach them. If I release it into the wild, will it try to go back to where I found it?

If I release it where I found her, I know she'll be roadkill. It's a curved 50 mph section of four lane road, with curbs, between a field and a small creek.
ID thread

It wouldn't eat on land they must be in water to swallow looks like it a very ols RES. CHRIS d. what happen to your snapper?

Released to a large park with waterways and lots of undeveloped acreage.

Best guess is it was an old melanistic male RES, you could just barely make out the spots...

I would either make a pond more than 100 gallons (try 200, maybe you can reach a happy medium between 100 and 400), or turn it loose.

Once provided with deep water to swim in and feel safe, the animal will likely prefer to be there than in the grass. Right now it has exposed shallow tubs of water that do not let it feel safe, so it hides in grass.

The most important issue is feeding. Aquatic turtles MUST eat in water. They can not eat on dry land.
If it is possible I would go with the 400 gallon pond. Always...The bigger the better.
The loss of land/grass area doesn't matter when it comes to an aquatic turtle. They want the water.
It is hard to tell if it is a cooter or a slider but I would lean towards slider. The care is the same.
Get that poor thing in some water. The more water the better.
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Jimmy (draybar)

Did it have long front nails? If not, it was likely a gravid female.

If you want to go with a 100 gallon pond, then you can adopt a male slider or other male aquatic. If you go with a 400 gallon, then try to adopt a female slider or two - there are SO many needing homes. Plus, most of the ones for adoption have lived indoors and are more aclimated to people, and some of them enjoy being around people if that is all they have known. In what state do you live? You can try contacting your local rescue or herp society or apply at turtlehomes.org

Katrina Smith
www.matts-turtles.org

I went back to the site of capture, but I noticed signs "Future Home of another needless industrial park". So on the advice of a local rescuer, I took him to a local park and set him free.

Well that link was pretty cut, but that looks liek an old Red-Eared Slider, usually everyone suggests letting it go where you found it, but go ahead and let it go in a pond that you feel is safe for it, if you feel it's gonna keep trying to cross the road, or go see if there is a pond on the other side of that road, if there is let it go there.