I talked to my husband about the Mud Turtle, particularly the different natures and requirements of a Mud Turtle and a snapping turtle. He really wants a snapping turtle, so I convinced him that it would be best to just let the mud turtle go.

We let him go in a nearby creek (away from the neighbor's pond). We'll get a snapping turtle, since it's not fair to keep one animal as a pet hoping that it will act like another animal (mud turtles are very docile, rather inactive, and really don't like deep water).

During the past week, I've seen 3 or so Red-eared sliders (about 1-1 1/2 inches) crawling through the yard. It's amazing how many turtles there are, despite my neighbor's attempts to eradicate them all. I've been tempted to keep one as a pet since they're so tiny right now.