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Thread: Baby Turtle

  1. #1
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Baby Turtle

    I found a baby aquatic outside my back door this afternoon. Pip must have brought it up. I thought it looked kind of dried out. I picked it up and touched it's head and feet and it didn't move. Still, I thought it might be alive so I put it in an empty tank. Sure enough it was swimming around next time I went down there.

    I looked at lots of pics and decided that it is a Black Knobbed Sawback. If it stops raining, I'll take it to my neighbors' place. They have a stream behind their house.

    https://www.outdooralabama.com/turtl...nobbed-sawback
    Mama Bear

  2. #2
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    Sounds like a cute little bugger Liz.
    Pat
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  3. #3
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    It is a cute little bugger, but it belongs in a stream, not in a fish tank.
    Mama Bear

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    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    Liz, thats a great find. I have yet to see that species myself but its a cool one. It will be better off in the wild than your tanks as you said.... turtles are in decline in much of their natural habitat.... better we let the wild ones be and just keep the bred ones. Aquatic turtles are generally not the best of pets any how... they foul the water, and are prone to shell fungus, and carry salmonella..

    al
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    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    Boy you sure picked a fitting name for pip! That little rascal wanted to bring you a present.
    My dog leaves little presents in the backyard for me too. She makes them herself, but they stink! Ha ha
    I love your posts Liz. Never a dull moment. Lol
    Patty
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    Homesteader RogueDiscus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    Around here any turtle you find is protected and required to be released.

  7. #7
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    I think that they're more in my neck of the woods than yours, Al. I know he's best off in the wild. I never considered keeping him. I'm just glad that I was able to save his life.

    Steve, it's the same here. I think that it's a federal law.
    Last edited by LizStreithorst; 02-28-2019 at 11:20 PM.
    Mama Bear

  8. #8
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    Some states do allow at least some wild turtles to be pets or food. Growing up in CT I always had eastern box turtles as pets.They were probably the reason I went on to become a biologist. Unfortunately my state is too over developed now.. the box turtles population has crashed due to fragmentation. ..We built where they live and blocked their routes... then we gave scavengers like raccoons perfect habitats..I rarely see box turtles here. I mention this because when they prohibit keeping wild animal like turtles as pets it really just a bandaid. Without habitat to breed and live in the fate of the species is doomed.

    From my states DEEP..


    A Year-long Look at TurtlesYear of the Turtle logo
    Turtles are in trouble. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an organization that maintains a comprehensive list (Red List) of the status of the world's species, categorizes 47% of all living turtle species as threatened. Because of the issues surrounding turtles and the need to raise awareness, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), of which the Connecticut DEEP has been a member since 1999, proclaimed 2011 as the Year of the Turtle. Through outreach efforts to researchers, educators, natural resource managers, and the public, the “Year of the Turtle” campaign aimed to increase U.S. involvement in local-to-national turtle issues. State and federal wildlife agencies, along with several conservation and turtle organizations, partnered with PARC to help spread the word about the plight of turtles.

    Threats to U.S. Turtles
    Humans cause the largest harm to turtle populations, but we have the power to make positive changes toward turtle survival. The largest threats to turtle populations include:

    Habitat loss and degradation;
    Overharvest of wild turtles for food, traditional medicines, and pets;
    Mortality from roads, agricultural machinery, fishing bycatch, and predators;
    Exotic invasive species and diseases;
    Loss of unique genetic make-up due to hybridization; and
    Climate change.
    Conservation Action Can Help
    Careful stewardship and conservation action can successfully slow or reduce the declining trend of turtles. Because turtles can respond well to population management and conservation, it is not too late to preserve our turtle heritage. Three basic approaches for species conservation include:
    Protecting rare species and their habitats;
    Managing common turtle species and their habitats so that they remain common; and
    Managing crisis situations, such as species in peril from acute hazards, like oil spills.
    What You Can Do to Help TurtlesCommon Musk Turtle
    Leave turtles in the wild. They should never be kept as pets. Whether collected singly or for the pet trade, turtles that are removed from the wild are no longer able to be a reproducing member of a population. Every turtle removed reduces the ability of the population to maintain itself.
    Never release a captive turtle into the wild. It probably would not survive, may not be native to the area, and could introduce diseases to wild populations.
    Do not disturb nesting turtles.
    As you drive, watch out for turtles crossing the road. Turtles found crossing roads in June and July are often pregnant females and they should be helped on their way and not collected. Without creating a traffic hazard or compromising safety, drivers are encouraged to avoid running over turtles that are crossing roads. Also, still keeping safety precautions in mind, you may elect to pick up turtles from the road and move them onto the side they are headed. Never relocate a turtle to another area that is far from where you found it. (More details)
    Make your backyard a better habitat for reptiles and amphibians. The Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation has developed an educational brochure entitled "Your Backyard Guide: Helping Amphibians and Reptiles" to get you started on creating better wildlife habitat in your yard.
    Learn more about turtles and educate others.

    Turtles and Roads Are a Deadly Combination

    The months of May through July are the nesting season for many turtles. At this time, egg-bearing females sometimes travel great distances to find the perfect location to dig a nest and lay eggs. Aquatic turtles also leave the water to travel across land in search of terrestrial nesting sites. Connecticut’s landscape is highly fragmented by busy roads, and many turtles are forced to travel great distances – and across roadways – to find suitable nesting habitat. Helping a turtle move across the road can be the difference between life and death for the animal, and for future generations, BUT YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST. Be sure to assist a turtle in the road only when it is safe to do so and do not attempt to stop traffic.Female box turtle crossing a road

    Research has shown that aquatic turtle populations across the United States have uncommonly high proportions of males because so many female turtles are being killed on roadways.

    Guidance on Assisting Turtles: Always keep the turtle pointed in the direction it is going. If you turn it around in the other direction, the turtle will only make another attempt to cross the road. Also, DO NOT move the turtle to a “better spot,” and DO NOT put terrestrial box turtles in a lake, pond, or other water body. Turtles have a home range and females often return to the same general area to lay their eggs. Snapping turtles can be large, heavy, and feisty, so if you are unable to “shoo” them across the road, pick them up by the back of their shells, NOT by their tail, to avoid a bite. Some people use a shovel or a stick to push or skid snapping turtles across the road.

    Turtles have a long lifespan, take a long time to reach sexual maturity, and have low survivorship when newly hatched. Because of these attributes, turtle populations cannot compensate for losses due to adult mortality without experiencing long-term consequences. With turtle populations requiring high levels of adult survivorship, every individual is important to a population’s stability. This concern is even greater in recent years because many U.S. turtle populations are becoming fragmented, isolated, and progressively smaller.

    In your travels, if you encounter a turtle in the road, just remember this motto: “If it is safe, help turtles cross the road.”
    At this point 7 of the 12 turtle species found in CT are on the threatened,endangered or special concerns list.... but of those 4 are sea turtles which have never been very common here as our shoreline is more like a bay than open ocean.

    I do know we still have an open season for snapping turtles which are collected for food use
    Snapping Turtle Regulations
    Season Dates: July 15 - September 30

    Bag Limits: Daily 5, Possession 10, Season 10

    Size Limit: Minimum 13” shell length.
    Legal Methods: Hand capture, dip net, turtle hook, floating or non-floating turtle trap, or hook and line
    .. It should be noted that these really are a poor food item.. often the meat is tainted with accumulated toxins. As a boy I had a few as pets.

    As far as I know eastern painters and musk turtles can also be kept here but its discouraged .. We also have a problem with released pet red ear sliders that may be competing with our painters. Released pets are never good for the environment.

    Sorry for the ramble...its a topic I really enjoy.I get out reptile watching as much as I can. My friend Jeff and I make seasonal "herping" trips to see what we can find...no collecting, just looking.

    Al
    Last edited by brewmaster15; 03-01-2019 at 07:16 AM.
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

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    Aquaticsuppliers.com


    I take Pics.. click here for my Flickr images

  9. #9
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    As a kid I also kept wild box turtles for a while but always ended up releasing them back into the wild. I agree with Al in that I have not seen a box turtle in years except for last year at Mead gardens near downtown Orlando. I was both shocked and pleased to actually find one. We took it's picture and left it alone. I hope there are another one nearby.
    Pat
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  10. #10
    Registered Member dagray's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    Great find Liz.

    In Oregon the Red Eared Sliders are on the invasive species list. They were brought here by the pet trade.
    God is the artist, he merely allows me to see and capture his work . http://davesphotography7055.zenfolio.com/ coupon code: angelfish
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  11. #11
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    They look so adorable, their shells look amazing.

  12. #12
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    My identification using pics was wrong. My neighbor said that is was a snapper. I looked at more pics and it was defiantly an alligator snapper. Look them up they are way cool turtles. Their shell camouflages them. The way they catch fish is to sit on the bottom, be still so they look like a rock, and open their mouths incredibly wide. There's this protrusion on their tongue that wiggles in the current making it look just like a worm. A fish comes along and takes the "bait". The turtle clamps his jaws fast and he has caught a meal. I can't believe that this little guy showed up right outside my door.
    Mama Bear

  13. #13
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baby Turtle

    Mother snapping turtles have been known to travel a good distance from water to lay their eggs... Thats quite a sight itself. A large one is pretty intimidating!

    I think" Gamera "was modelled after snapping turtles, if anyone here knows who this Japanese Monster Turtle is.
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

    Al Sabetta
    Simplydiscus LLC Owner
    Aquaticsuppliers.com


    I take Pics.. click here for my Flickr images

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