I found a little turtle, what do I do?

[Irishgrrrl]

Skippy, (s)he is just ADORABLE!!! Awwwww!!!

I agree with everyone else . . . shut him/her in your backyard so (s)he doesn''t try to cross the street again, and leave veggies out for him/her to eat. How fun! You''re a Turtle Mama!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 8/5/2008 9:17:06 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady
Oh my stars, I found a link for tortoise names. LOL
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/namelists/a/namesturtles.htm

I particularly like Yurtle the turtle, Webster and Stretch.

NUH UH!!! I had no idea such a thing existed! Good job, Michelle! My vote is for "Baby Precious"!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 8/5/2008 9:24:38 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 8/5/2008 9:20:23 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 8/5/2008 9:17:06 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady
Oh my stars, I found a link for tortoise names. LOL
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/namelists/a/namesturtles.htm

I particularly like Yurtle the turtle, Webster and Stretch.

NUH UH!!! I had no idea such a thing existed! Good job, Michelle! My vote is for ''Baby Precious''!

I used to have tiiiiny little frogs.. I loved them..

LOL! I used to have a tree frog . . . his name was Kermit!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/5/2008 7:39:23 AM
Author: Lorelei
Yep looks like a tortoise to me, they make great pets! Do you still have him Skip?

Date: 8/5/2008 9:13:45 AM
Author: DandiAndi

Larry?

He is so seriously CUTE! What's the update, Skippy?

Update: Good Morning friends. Last evening I saw the turtle and there is this big bush and he pushed himself half way under it; I left the gate open for 20 mins and then closed it and didn't see him when I closed it so he is either under the bush or gone. I didn't see him out front so I might still have a tortoise. If so I am *Excited* to be a turtle mom; if not then I might tell hubby I want a turtle now. He was soooooo CUTE

If I see him I will for sure take more pics!!!! I will put food out everyday even if I don't see him.

Do they hide and for how long??

Thank you friends; you all were very very helpful!!! Thank you Michelle for all the links.

 

[Lorelei]

Skip, if he is still around, tinned beansprouts are apparently a good food to give, as they are high in calcium for their shells. I knew a tortoise who was rather partial to fresh strawberries!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/5/2008 11:12:32 AM
Author: Lorelei
Skip, if he is still around, tinned beansprouts are apparently a good food to give, as they are high in calcium for their shells. I knew a tortoise who was rather partial to fresh strawberries!

Oooh, he will be my kind of tortoise if he likes strawberry's. Thanks for the suggestion; I will go put out strawberry's thanks to you and lettuce like Petco andCleo suggested!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/5/2008 12:31:18 AM
Author: TanDogMom
hi Skippers!

I second the notion that he is a tortoise (land living) rather than turtle (water living). In my area they are wild - are they indigenous in your area? If so, I'd just take him to a safe wooded area away from roads and release him. If box tortoises don't live in your area normally, he is probably someone's pet - but I really bet he is wild.

My inlaws found a baby box tortoise and kept him a while til he grew bigger. He was the size of a quarter! So I think your little guy is actually several years old.

I actually found a cute tortoise a few months ago, just kept him a day and released him. Will post a pic if I can find one. I wanted to keep him, but figured he'd be happier in the wild.

The size of a quarter, how CUTE! Okay, I hope mine is a little older. I just got an email saying my neighbor has turtles but they have a c on the back but this one doesn't. I hope I find him again. Thanks G!

 

[Linda W]

Skippy, I hope you find him again too, he was sooooooooooooo cute.

Michelle: ha ha ha ha ha, I love the name "Stretch"

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/5/2008 11:22:11 AM
Author: Skippy123

Date: 8/5/2008 12:31:18 AM
Author: TanDogMom
hi Skippers!

I second the notion that he is a tortoise (land living) rather than turtle (water living). In my area they are wild - are they indigenous in your area? If so, I''d just take him to a safe wooded area away from roads and release him. If box tortoises don''t live in your area normally, he is probably someone''s pet - but I really bet he is wild.

My inlaws found a baby box tortoise and kept him a while til he grew bigger. He was the size of a quarter! So I think your little guy is actually several years old.

I actually found a cute tortoise a few months ago, just kept him a day and released him. Will post a pic if I can find one. I wanted to keep him, but figured he''d be happier in the wild.

The size of a quarter, how CUTE! Okay, I hope mine is a little older. I just got an email saying my neighbor has turtles but they have a c on the back but this one doesn''t. I hope I find him again. Thanks G!

I have heard if you count the '' squares'' on the shell, that will give you an indication of how old the tortoise is. I have done this with a tortoise which was known to be in her thirties, the shell confirmed that she was.

 

[Catmom]

Aww Skip, he''s soooo cute!

My son has had box turtles for years and now has a quite large tortoise. If he is still there, make sure that he has water that he can soak in. They will sit in water for hours and it keeps their shells hydrated.

 

[partgypsy]

AW that is a cute turtle. It looks like a box turtle. We had one a two June''s ago. We fed it lettuce, grapes, watermelon rind, wet dog food. We simply kept him in a cardboard box, and let him wander in the backyard supervised. We just kept him for a week, and then released him in Duke forest, where there was pine trees and a nearby creek.


I have to add this as this is something my daughter sings around the house:

There was a little turtle,
His name was Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim
He drank up all the water

He ate up all the soap

And now he is in the bathtub
With a bubble in his throat
Bubble, bubble, bubble -POP
Bubble, bubble, bubble -POP!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/5/2008 12:03:29 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

You''re very welcome. Anything to help! We''re such a concerned group here - yay teamwork! lol

hehe, Wooo hooo for Teamwork friend!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/5/2008 1:52:18 PM
Author: part gypsy

AW that is a cute turtle. It looks like a box turtle. We had one a two June''s ago. We fed it lettuce, grapes, watermelon rind, wet dog food. We simply kept him in a cardboard box, and let him wander in the backyard supervised. We just kept him for a week, and then released him in Duke forest, where there was pine trees and a nearby creek.


I have to add this as this is something my daughter sings around the house:

There was a little turtle,
His name was Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim
He drank up all the water

He ate up all the soap

And now he is in the bathtub
With a bubble in his throat
Bubble, bubble, bubble -POP
Bubble, bubble, bubble -POP!

I am laughing because I know that song!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/5/2008 11:31:14 AM
Author: Catmom
Aww Skip, he''s soooo cute!

My son has had box turtles for years and now has a quite large tortoise. If he is still there, make sure that he has water that he can soak in. They will sit in water for hours and it keeps their shells hydrated.

Michelle, thanks, I put out a big dish of water. I haven''t seen him though

How cute your son had one! They are darling!

 

[Jelly]

Have you named him yet? How about Skippy Junior?

 

[partgypsy]

Thanks Sandiego lady! Although my daughter does ahem say interesting and brillant things everyday, I believe this is a song she learned at school.

 

[radiantquest]

Date: 8/4/2008 8:57:06 PM
Author: Skippy123
Okay, I am gonna call Petsmart, lets hope they can help

Isn''t he cute!?!?!

You have turtles in your neighborhood Radiantquest!!! Wow, I never found one before; I picked it up so no one would run over it by accident.

yeah ive seen two in 1 day. they were in different areas so they werent two pets that got loose. i think it has something to do with drought or rain or warmth from the sun and the road being hot. not sure. we live in a well wooded area with streams all around so turtles arent that uncommon here.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/5/2008 2:09:37 PM
Author: Jelly
Have you named him yet? How about Skippy Junior?

Hubby said Skippy Jr. would be good! hehe I just hope he comes back though

 

[Beth]

I hope you can find him again. We have a pet turtle in an aquarium and he turned out to be a she. Her name is Leroy.

 

[partgypsy]

As far as finding the turtle now, it makes sense. I live in NC and one June there was a box turtle in front of our house, and the following June we found a snapping turtle near our backyard door. I also thought it was strange and so at that time read up on the internet that turtles are active and often found in the summer because they are migrating to and from mating grounds. As the female I believe goes to their ancestral nest site to breed, they will go there even if there are roads in the way, so that''s why you see them in strange places.
Also before each sighting we had there was more rain than usual and while box turtles can swim for short distances they are not aquatic and may have been avoiding high water.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/7/2008 7:50:19 AM
Author: part gypsy
As far as finding the turtle now, it makes sense. I live in NC and one June there was a box turtle in front of our house, and the following June we found a snapping turtle near our backyard door. I also thought it was strange and so at that time read up on the internet that turtles are active and often found in the summer because they are migrating to and from mating grounds. As the female I believe goes to their ancestral nest site to breed, they will go there even if there are roads in the way, so that''s why you see them in strange places.
Also before each sighting we had there was more rain than usual and while box turtles can swim for short distances they are not aquatic and may have been avoiding high water.

Thank you for that information. The past couple of days there were huge downpours in my neighborhood. I keep wondering if the box turtle left for the 15 mins I left the little gate open or if he is in my backyard; I guess I will find out if I don''t see him in a year. I put out strawberry''s and lettuce but it brought our the ants instead.


Thanks everyone for your help

 

[luckystar112]

Skippy, have you seen your turtle lately?
Guess what? DH brought home a turtle tonight! We put him in our front yard so our dogs won''t get him. I''m nervous cause we''re on a corner lot!

DH found him at the entrance of our development in the middle of the road.
Here he is!

 

[Miranda]

Awwww, I''ve never found a turtle. Frogs, yes...Turtles, no. What will you do with him Lucky?

 

[luckystar112]

Here is another pic. Sorry for the quality, they were taken with a cell phone!
He didn''t want to show his face.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 8/24/2008 11:33:28 PM
Author: Miranda
Awwww, I''ve never found a turtle. Frogs, yes...Turtles, no. What will you do with him Lucky?

Oh we have TONS of frogs in our backyard too! I love frogs. I always try to catch them.

After reading one of the links SDL posted on box turtles, I just forced hubby to go get him from the front yard and put him in our back yard! We''ll just leave the dogs in for the night. I didn''t want him to get runover, so I think this is best.
The link says not to move them too far from where they were or they''ll try to get back home...so now I''m nervous. But hopefully he''ll be okay.

I guess we''re just going to let him chill out back there and see what happens!

 

[Miranda]

Date: 8/24/2008 11:47:20 PM
Author: luckystar112

Date: 8/24/2008 11:33:28 PM
Author: Miranda
Awwww, I''ve never found a turtle. Frogs, yes...Turtles, no. What will you do with him Lucky?

Oh we have TONS of frogs in our backyard too! I love frogs. I always try to catch them.

After reading one of the links SDL posted on box turtles, I just forced hubby to go get him from the front yard and put him in our back yard! We''ll just leave the dogs in for the night. I didn''t want him to get runover, so I think this is best.
The link says not to move them too far from where they were or they''ll try to get back home...so now I''m nervous. But hopefully he''ll be okay.

I guess we''re just going to let him chill out back there and see what happens!

He''ll (she''ll?

) be fine!

Frogs are so cute! They scare the dickens out of me, though. Once late at night, while taking my dog out tinkle before bed there was one right on my doorstep! It''s not uncommon for deer to meander behind my house while we are eating dinner on the patio out back, either. This house has pushed my limits to extremes....

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/24/2008 11:31:08 PM
Author: luckystar112
Skippy, have you seen your turtle lately?
Guess what? DH brought home a turtle tonight! We put him in our front yard so our dogs won''t get him. I''m nervous cause we''re on a corner lot!

DH found him at the entrance of our development in the middle of the road.
Here he is!

Luckystar, no, I think the turtle is gone. Ahhhh, how cute!!

I love your little turtle!

 

[Skippy123]

The little tortoise came back!!!!

I wonder if I should take him to the vet??

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:33:47 PM
Author: Skippy123
The little tortoise came back!!!!

I wonder if I should take him to the vet??

Aw, he missed his Skippy momma! Where did you find him again?!?

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:54:42 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 8/27/2008 10:33:47 PM
Author: Skippy123
The little tortoise came back!!!!

I wonder if I should take him to the vet??

Aw, he missed his Skippy momma! Where did you find him again?!?

Ahhhh, thank you, I missed him! I feel like such a goof, but I really really missed him! hehe He was on our porch; I brought our a shallow dish of water and lettuce. Thanks for asking DeeJay!