QUICK!!! Turlte rescue
- Thread starter Aries
- Start date
Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
yeap, I agree, good choice. I totaly understand your concern for the little guy, Aries and you're trying to do what you think is the best thing possible but unfortunately, sometimes our best intentions can have huge side lines. I think bringing him back to the original body of water is the best thing.excellent choice.. i bet he'll be just fine.
I still think there is a good chance of him dying - but I also dont want to infect a good population of turtles, since he is from polluted waters.
I now know this is best, but wish everything will work out. Hey, he survived the semis that pass through here, so hes gotta make it!
Aries
I am curious about the breed.
It seems to be a type of map turtle.
The head stripings look like the common map turtle found HERE. But the shell is WAY wrong. The shell is almost identical to the Alabama Map Turtle (same website).
The first pic at this website is what the turtle is - dead on. The turtle here is a litter greener than in the pic, but the head, stripes and shell pattern are identical. Even the shell bottom is the same.
The pic with the caption "Notice the full mask on this Graptemys pulchra", the shell is the same, but the head striping is not.
Ideas...??? If it is the Alabama Map Turtle (which I dont know), is it protected and rare?
It seems to be a type of map turtle.
The head stripings look like the common map turtle found HERE. But the shell is WAY wrong. The shell is almost identical to the Alabama Map Turtle (same website).
The first pic at this website is what the turtle is - dead on. The turtle here is a litter greener than in the pic, but the head, stripes and shell pattern are identical. Even the shell bottom is the same.
The pic with the caption "Notice the full mask on this Graptemys pulchra", the shell is the same, but the head striping is not.
Ideas...??? If it is the Alabama Map Turtle (which I dont know), is it protected and rare?
For those wondering, i am just curious abou the breed, it will be going back to river.
Trying to learn something new
Aries
Trying to learn something new
Aries
I dont think I could put the little fellow back into a nasty place =( I would take him to the cleaner river, if youve seen wildlife living in those waters before.
Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
I'm not sure without a picture, Aries but many turtles look different as babies and maybe the environment helped with his coloring, not sure.
Then there's the question of what else is there too, remember the Snakehead episode? Maryland didn't like them putting them in their waters.
The point isn't whether the turtle can survive a new body of water, it's whether it will spread anything infectious or foreign to the new body of water. It's always best to return it where it came from if it hasn't been kept in your home aquaria.
Then there's the question of what else is there too, remember the Snakehead episode? Maryland didn't like them putting them in their waters.
PPMN
Who could resist this face??
Yeah, I agree. I vote for cleaner water. A baby turtle who probably just hatched isn't likely to pollute a whole pond.
Well, he is in the river, where I thought he came from.
This is the only body of water nearby - and it is large enough too to support turtles, its a river. The next closest pond/river is 4+ miles away. I would doubt he got here from there (that pond and this river are not connected).
I would rather be safe than sorry. Even though I wanted to bring him to a cleaner waters, what IF he was sick/infected/other and caused damage to the wildlife population that I put him in...then I would feel REALLY bad. I would rather have one die than 20 die.
I chose what looked like the cleanest possible part of the river - which is part of river clean up week (about 2 weeks ago). I know it doesnt change the water parameters much, but..
As for the species, he has the head stipes of a common map turtle, but the shell is almost identical to every Alabama Map turtle (minus color). It has the humps/peaks/points on the top of the shell, same stripes/swirls on the shell, same bottom markings/layout. :huh: I dont have pics as I was at work, if I would have taken him home, I would have pics.
He probably stole the shell
Thank you for all the help everyone gave. This was not easy for me (I tend to save every animal I see, plus my wife does the same thing). We once saved a 100lb black lab from a very dangerous intersection - but we live in an apartment so he took five steps and he was seemingly at the other end of the apt. No tags, no chips and no other identification (we were afraid it was a dump job but we still posted posters). That night he went to live at grandpas farm.
Case closed.
Aries
This is the only body of water nearby - and it is large enough too to support turtles, its a river. The next closest pond/river is 4+ miles away. I would doubt he got here from there (that pond and this river are not connected).
I would rather be safe than sorry. Even though I wanted to bring him to a cleaner waters, what IF he was sick/infected/other and caused damage to the wildlife population that I put him in...then I would feel REALLY bad. I would rather have one die than 20 die.
I chose what looked like the cleanest possible part of the river - which is part of river clean up week (about 2 weeks ago). I know it doesnt change the water parameters much, but..
As for the species, he has the head stipes of a common map turtle, but the shell is almost identical to every Alabama Map turtle (minus color). It has the humps/peaks/points on the top of the shell, same stripes/swirls on the shell, same bottom markings/layout. :huh: I dont have pics as I was at work, if I would have taken him home, I would have pics.
He probably stole the shell
Thank you for all the help everyone gave. This was not easy for me (I tend to save every animal I see, plus my wife does the same thing). We once saved a 100lb black lab from a very dangerous intersection - but we live in an apartment so he took five steps and he was seemingly at the other end of the apt. No tags, no chips and no other identification (we were afraid it was a dump job but we still posted posters). That night he went to live at grandpas farm.
Case closed.
Aries
