Found a baby (common) snapper in our skimmer. It is about the size of a half dollar. We are on the East coast and it was suggested we keep it until spring and let it go in a safer environment. My kids were thrilled with that suggestion. I have it in a 10 gallon tank with pebbles on one side and enough water to swim on the other end.Heater under the tank on one side(pebble) Offered it a worm, did not want it. Bought some frozen brine shrimp and dried river shrimp. put some cabbage in.Have not seen it eat yet. My daughter tried a piece of balogna! and it tried to bite it but I don't think it got any. Any suggestions will be helpful.
My biggest concern is someone getting bit if it gets too big before we release it. I hear they can take a finger off, then other sites say thats not true. I would hate for it to take my cats leg off in the future to!if they were ver to get near it. (there is a cover on the cage)What about salmonella? We have the cleanest hands since finding this turtle.. send an email for a picture, can't seem to be able to post one from this site.Thanks
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Found a baby snapping Turtle in our pool
Replies (3)
It really would be better if you let it go now, if you are near enough to a wild area where it would not encounter other people. It will settle down for the winter all by itself. That way you would also not have to worry about how to take care of it, what to feed it, or your (unfounded) fears of damaging bites (at this age they pinch, as they get older they DO hurt, but they can NEVER just snap anyone's finger off). I have raised and cared for snappers all of my life, from just-hatched newborns to injured adults found in the road (see photo) to fully-grown 45-lb. giants. The smallest ones are, by far, the most difficult.
Great pic--what's the story there?
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If you do decide to keep it they do great on chopped minnows, worms and reptomin. It may take him a few days to acclimate to his surroundings. I always fed mine in another small container and then put him back in his regular home that afternoon. If you leave the food in with him in a smaller container then he has more of a chance to see and eat it.
