Found this baby turtle

[Hellokitty]

I was planting flowers and found this baby turtle. I set up a safe area for it to hopefully survive until it's bigger or whatever. I looked up turtle identification and think it's a box turtle, but not sure.
So after making this turtle habitat I go back to check it an hour or so later and it had started to burry itself in the leaf mulch. I went back a few hours later and now can't find it. I hope it's just buried somewhere.
If it's still alive and I see it I'm going to make some kind of dome covering to keep it safer. I know nothing about turtles so any helpful suggestions will be appreciated.

It's habitat is outside. I used one of those raised garden kit things.

 

[PinktheFloyd88]

Very cute, I love turtles.

 

[JoeMoma]

Time to make some soup.

 

[JoeMoma]

Time to make some soup.

Just kidding.

 

[toobfreak]

I was planting flowers and found this baby turtle. I set up a safe area for it

Please don't kill it with kindness, especially when you don't even know what turtles need! You should probably just leave it alone or put it somewhere safe from highways and people in the woods. That swimming pool you made for it looks like once inside, it would never be able to get back out of! And I would think that river rock would be something very foreign to and difficult for a turtle to move around on.

Wherever that turtle came from or was going, I don't think it a good idea to try to make him a pet and keep trapped under some sort of "bubble." For all you know, he was headed back to his mate or could be a mother heading to care for its babies and you've just trapped it in your private turtle garden.

 

[toobfreak]

Just kidding.

I hope so. It's far too small and young yet! Give it a couple years!

 

[JoeMoma]

I hope so. It's far too small and young yet! Give it a couple years!

Agreed. That being said, I enjoy eating several different types of critters, but I've never eaten the turtle type that I know of.

I have caught several turtles when bank fishing. One had a shell 'bout as big as a man whole cover.

 

[Hellokitty]

Please don't kill it with kindness, especially when you don't even know what turtles need! You should probably just leave it alone or put it somewhere safe from highways and people in the woods. That swimming pool you made for it looks like once inside, it would never be able to get back out of! And I would think that river rock would be something very foreign to and difficult for a turtle to move around on.

Wherever that turtle came from or was going, I don't think it a good idea to try to make him a pet and keep trapped under some sort of "bubble." For all you know, he was headed back to his mate or could be a mother heading to care for its babies and you've just trapped it in your private turtle garden.

It's still a baby, so it has no babies or mate. I did look up some basic information and it's habitat area is mimicking the area I found it in my flower bed. Most of the area is leaf mulch I used the pea gravel since I saw it used in habitats set up by other people. I could replace it with sand.

 

[BasicHumanUnit]

I once rescued a giant snapper turtle from a guys backyard. He kept it in the bottom of a trash can in some nasty water and it smelled horrible.
It had been there for over a week. That's one of my problem with most people, they have absolutely ZERO concern for the pain and suffering they put "critters" through. I pray they suffer worse than they put critters through someday.

He was going make soup out it no kidding.

I gave him $20 for the turtle, took it down to the nearby river and gave it a 2nd chance. It took off like a bolt of lightning.
Hopefully he never took anyones bait again.

So many people have wet dreams over killing animals.........I like to save / rescue animals.

If I could teach deer to handle a rifle I'd give them free ammo.

 

[lg325]

Here we call them woods turtles ' They are found in small streams and ponds in thick woods. They travel over land and do bury themselves in the decomposing leaves. I have seen them eat worms and berries. The one you have was more than likely traveling and found your flower bed.

 

[MarathonMike]

It's still a baby, so it has no babies or mate. I did look up some basic information and it's habitat area is mimicking the area I found it in my flower bed. Most of the area is leaf mulch I used the pea gravel since I saw it used in habitats set up by other people. I could replace it with sand.

Definitely a box turtle. I found lots of them as a kid in the woods. They LOVE leaves and mulch and earthworms.

 

[toobfreak]

It's still a baby, so it has no babies or mate. I did look up some basic information and it's habitat area is mimicking the area I found it in my flower bed. Most of the area is leaf mulch I used the pea gravel since I saw it used in habitats set up by other people. I could replace it with sand.

I wonder if it could be someone's pet that got away or was abandoned? And I wonder if there is a natural source for water around and what it will do for food? Maybe you should call some place that sells turtles as pets or a zoo or some place that has experts in amphibia who could tell you better?

About all I know about turtles is from the ones I used to see in my uncle's woods and from a brother in law who used to catch them and make turtle soup.

 

[Hellokitty]

Here we call them woods turtles ' They are found in small streams and ponds in thick woods. They travel over land and do bury themselves in the decomposing leaves. I have seen them eat worms and berries. The one you have was more than likely traveling and found your flower bed.

Our yard backs up to woods and we have woods between houses. He's not much bigger than a quarter, so I didn't want him to find my lawn mower, trimmer or the end of a shovel. I'm not keeping him as a pet but just trying to keep him a little safer for awhile.

 

[flacaltenn]

I was planting flowers and found this baby turtle. I set up a safe area for it to hopefully survive until it's bigger or whatever. I looked up turtle identification and think it's a box turtle, but not sure.
So after making this turtle habitat I go back to check it an hour or so later and it had started to burry itself in the leaf mulch. I went back a few hours later and now can't find it. I hope it's just buried somewhere.
If it's still alive and I see it I'm going to make some kind of dome covering to keep it safer. I know nothing about turtles so any helpful suggestions will be appreciated.

It's habitat is outside. I used one of those raised garden kit things.

View attachment 630772

View attachment 630773

I've had box turtles in the family for over 20 years. One is probably 34 yr old. One hatched from an egg around 2000. These have never been wild, But my neighbors think I'm the turtle guy so I'm constantly assessing and releasing what they bring me.

Being near a house is dangerous. Just from weed whackers, lawn mowers, sprays, pets. Best to release it in a bigger wild space similar to where you found it. The bowl and habitat is good. But box turtles cant swim, so it may be too deep for the little thing.

If you want to guard it for a couple weeks, get a tub of TINY mealworms. Put some sliced carrot in with the mealworms a day before you feed them to the turtle. Vitamin A (in carrots) is big for turtles and they need this as they grow. Also whole leaf romaine put in the water dish, not iceberg lettuce if its big enough to eat it.

Keeping it long term is a big investment. Easy to care for, but if you're GOOD at learning their care - they can live 25 years and DONT do well in the wild after a couple years of pampering.

The longest I've kept stray babies is when a neighbor finds one close to Autumn. I'll keep them over the winter if they are small with minimal human contact, and "almost" hibernate them til they get released in the spring.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

We get baby red ears in the pool pretty often.
Not sure how they get there but it has to be from the pond on the golf course behind the house but thats a good 40 yards away.
Our hypothesis is they get picked up by the cranes and other shore birds that work the pond edge for food and they drop them accidently while flying over the pool.
I put em in a bowl with some pea gravel and water and leave on the back porch in the shade until I leave the house then I stop by the golf course pond and let em go there.

 

[flacaltenn]

PS. If you do release it. Dont choose an area that floods. And if there's a remnant of yolk sac on the bottom shell, there MAY be other babies where you found it.

 

[Hellokitty]

I've had box turtles in the family for over 20 years. One is probably 34 yr old. One hatched from an egg around 2000. These have never been wild, But my neighbors think I'm the turtle guy so I'm constantly assessing and releasing what they bring me.

Being near a house is dangerous. Just from weed whackers, lawn mowers, sprays, pets. Best to release it in a bigger wild space similar to where you found it. The bowl and habitat is good. But box turtles cant swim, so it may be too deep for the little thing.

If you want to guard it for a couple weeks, get a tub of TINY mealworms. Put some sliced carrot in with the mealworms a day before you feed them to the turtle. Vitamin A (in carrots) is big for turtles and they need this as they grow. Also whole leaf romaine put in the water dish, not iceberg lettuce if its big enough to eat it.

Keeping it long term is a big investment. Easy to care for, but if you're GOOD at learning their care - they can live 25 years and DONT do well in the wild after a couple years of pampering.

The longest I've kept stray babies is when a neighbor finds one close to Autumn. I'll keep them over the winter if they are small with minimal human contact, and "almost" hibernate them til they get released in the spring.

Thanks for the information. I looked up information about water and it said they like to soak. I can add some of the gravel to make water shallower. Do you feed them live meal worms? I have dried ones for the birds. I'm planing on releasing it into the woods behind our house, which is probably where it came from, when it's a little bigger. It's habitat backs up to the woods so if it digs out it'll be far from the mowing area of yard. When I release it I'll probable just remove on side of habitat and let it find it's way out on it's own time.

 

[Hellokitty]

PS. If you do release it. Dont choose an area that floods. And if there's a remnant of yolk sac on the bottom shell, there MAY be other babies where you found it.

Here's a pic of bottom of shell. Don't know what yolk sac looks like.

 

[flacaltenn]

Here's a pic of bottom of shell. Don't know what yolk sac looks like.
View attachment 630826

Yolk sack has been gone for awhile. It's attached like an umbilical cord to the middle of star pattern just below your fingers. Hangs around maybe 5 days. More if they aren't scrabbling over rocks.

 

[flacaltenn]

View attachment 630824

Thanks for the information. I looked up information about water and it said they like to soak. I can add some of the gravel to make water shallower. Do you feed them live meal worms? I have dried ones for the birds. I'm planing on releasing it into the woods behind our house, which is probably where it came from, when it's a little bigger. It's habitat backs up to the woods so if it digs out it'll be far from the mowing area of yard. When I release it I'll probable just remove on side of habitat and let it find it's way out on it's own time.

Looks pretty healthy. They prefer live stuff. Might take the dried ones. But everything has to sized right for the little guy. So really small garden worms, or the tiny size mealworms. When mine first hatched I panicked at what it could eat, but I found some frozen bloodworms (really tiny) at the pet store and to this DAY -- it's still his favorite food.

I actually cook for mine. I know -- I'm nuts. I boil up some sliced carrots, kernel corn and then "folk strain" the carrots til they are mash. Mixed those with some SMALL kat kibble that has been soaked soft and top with minced greens !! Well smashed egg shells (little bits) are a good source of calcium for them.

My boxies are Ornates. They REALLY PREFER bugs. But in the warm season they'll eat the mash I make. And I've seen them eat entire romaine leafs in a day that I toss in their outdoor waterbowls.

Got an 8X4 screened top wood/stone enclosure that they spend every possible day outside.

This is what a female ornate looks like. She's got to be over 30 yrs old by now. Had her for over 25 years.