turtle people! i need your help!

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deeleywoman

All men are equal before fish.
Mar 9, 2009
683
0
16
40
Newport News, VA
www.etsy.com
i was just outside pulling up dandelions with a trowel (yes, i'm aware what time it is) when i dug up a shocking surprise- a baby freakin' turtle!!! he was buried about four inches down in the dirt, right smack up against the concrete slab. i was just going to put him back, but then my husband asked me if i ought to. i paused, because i'm about to hit that whole area i found him in with roundup, and i'm thinking that would be bad. i'm also afraid i may have hurt him, either directly with the trowel, or indirectly by the abrupt upheaval. i mean, i basically picked him up and threw him, without realizing it. i examined him and didn't find any cuts or anything, which is good, but he's barely moving, and his eyes aren't open. he's completely out of his shell, not pulled back and hiding. so, i have him right now in a large storage bin that i rinsed out, with several handfuls of the dirt i found him in and a little bit of water. i have a series of questions for y'all.

1) what was he doing there? and how did he get there? he was way down in the dirt, and the surface of the soil showed no signs of being disturbed. i'm sure a creature several inches across would leave a mark where it dug...

2) is his lack of movement and reluctance to open his eyes because he's a baby, or because he was sleeping, or is it a sign he might be hurt from being hurled several feet onto concrete?

3) if he's ok and i should put him back, where should i put him? he wasn't in a garden or flower bed- just buried in a random patch of weeds and dirt. i'm also going to douse that area with roundup, as i said, so i'm sure i can't put him right back where he was. where would be the best place for him?

4) (i'm sure i know y'all's answer to this, so please don't jump all over me... i'm not an ignorant five year old with a puppy...) would he be better off back in my garden, where something like this may happen to him again, or should i convert the ten gallon tank i just bought for my planned invert-only community and make him as cozy as i can? i've had turtles before, so this wouldn't be uncharted territory for me. i'm just not sure what would be best for him, given his size and what happened tonight. i won't be heartbroken if the concensus is "put him back".

4) what is he?

thank you all for your help!!!





 

deeleywoman

All men are equal before fish.
Mar 9, 2009
683
0
16
40
Newport News, VA
www.etsy.com
my vet is only a few miles away. i could call in the morning. should i bring him inside? he's out on my screened-in porch, and it's 62 degrees outside (at two AM).
 

deeleywoman

All men are equal before fish.
Mar 9, 2009
683
0
16
40
Newport News, VA
www.etsy.com
o_O he's so tiny! wouldn't he have grown during the months spent underground? i'm not arguing, i just find that possibility amazing.
 

Virtuoso2K12

Gender:MALE
Mar 2, 2008
3,159
0
36
Southern CA
Well how is his health?Try taking it to your vet and they'll help you. For now i guess you can keep him inside warm since it's a baby and may be attacked by larger prey.
 

justahannah

Fascinated newb
Jul 29, 2008
649
0
16
Tacoma, WA
www.myspace.com
Real Name
Hannah
He's beautiful! No advice, but I wish him the best of luck...I love that pattern on his shell.
 

deeleywoman

All men are equal before fish.
Mar 9, 2009
683
0
16
40
Newport News, VA
www.etsy.com
i know; it's beautiful. there's a tiny part of me that's saying "keep him! keep him!" because of it lol... but it's been easily ten years since i had a turtle, and i think i'd feel bad about taking him out of the wild... i'm going to call the vet first thing in the morning and see what he has to say. i'm also incredibly curious as to his species, and how big he may get.

also, i've brought him inside, and he's crawled across the container and buried himself in the dirt again. i'm beginning to lean towards "hibernating", and now feel bad for interrupting what was probably a really good nap v.v;
 

deeleywoman

All men are equal before fish.
Mar 9, 2009
683
0
16
40
Newport News, VA
www.etsy.com
i am at a loss for what kind of turtle he is... i've exhausted my google powers, and no idea. anyone got any suggestions? i'm on the peninsula in southeast virginia, with a tree-lined reservoir for a backyard.
 
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