Asked on Jul 08, 2012

Wildlife - Turtle

Sherrie S
by Sherrie S
Why this turtle is walking on cement is beyond me. We have plenty of water in the backyard. Yesterday while driving I saw people stop when a crazy turtle tried to cross the road and we all waited and he lived. NICE!
Why walk on cement curb?
He's been in water
  40 answers
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jul 08, 2012
    Oh, can anyone tell me what kind of turtle this is so I can provide natural food for it.
  • soup turtle? only kidding. Turtles eat bugs. I have no idea but it looks like a box turtle. Best set free in local park or woods.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jul 09, 2012
    I stopped for a gopher tortoise to cross the road just the other day. Always makes me happy when I have to do that.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jul 09, 2012
    Woodbridge, We have a small lake, a woods next door and most of the lots are more than an acre. I have two acres for him/her so that's why I wondered why he/she was on a cement border in my front yard. We moved him/her to the backyard where he can find plenty bugs.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jul 09, 2012
    Turtles are cold blooded so they sometimes like to "sun" themselves...diets can be bugs, worms, mushrooms etc.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jul 09, 2012
    KMS, I have all of the turtle food in my yard so he should be OK. Thank you.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jul 09, 2012
    From the look of its shell it looks like it has spent a lot of time in a lake or pond...that is "old growth" algae there on his shell.
  • Susan S Susan S on Jul 09, 2012
    Well, he certainly looks like a big boy!! I'll bet tadpoles are on his menu too!! ;~)
  • Vicki Vicki on Jul 09, 2012
    my hubby found a box turtle hiding behind my rain barrels. it stayed there for 2 days. it was cute. thanks for sharing.
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Jul 09, 2012
    Oh Sherrie he is just beautiful!!! I am an avid turtle collector, I have loved turtles since I was a young girl and my grandfather named his cottage after me and gave me my own row boat to sit and fish and turtle all day. By the looks of this one, it appears to be a yellow belly slider which is a very common type among swamps, etc. I have a beautiful baby red ear slider turtle which I will post a pic of. It makes my heart happy that people stopped and waited for it to cross., cannot tell you how many times my kids and I have done that.!!!!
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jul 09, 2012
    Laurie B, Sweet Quincy is adorable with such pretty color. Please post your baby red ear slider. My turtle needs a bath so I can see his real color. Right now it is algae colored & he is hiding out somewhere.
  • Jan P Jan P on Jul 09, 2012
    Remember if you are getting them out of the road - take them in the direction they are heading - or they will just cross the road again..I have stopped for many a turtle!! Don't think this one looks like the box turtles I have seen - but then again, maybe there are different varieties in different areas of the country!
  • Susan S Susan S on Jul 09, 2012
    Laurie, your Quincy is a handsome specimen and his markings are absolutely gorgeous!! Sherrie, go track down your guy and get him all cleaned up - underneath all that algae is a real hunk just waiting to be discovered!!! ;~)
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jul 10, 2012
    Hello....Quincy...Welcome to Hometalk
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jul 10, 2012
    KMS, that's Sweet Quincy. Susan S, I'd love to see the colors but he will have to bathe himself.
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 20, 2012
    Thanks for all your kind words for my Quincy, I have since taken in 2 rescue turtles from a friend in college whose dorm will not let her keep them. They are 2 yellow belly sliders she bought in daytona beach, so she named them Dayna and Tony. They are in a different aquarium than Quincy, we tried putting them together but Quincy stopped eating. So Sherry did you keep the turtle or find out what kind it is? It doesn't appear to be a box turtle the shell isn't the same.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Sep 21, 2012
    Laurie B, no I did not keep my turtle since he has 2 acres, plenty of shelter, food and a small lake in my yard & the neighboring yards are also quite large. I don't know what kind of turtle I had but I know he'll be back. I have seen over 10 turtles on a log on the little lake behind my home. Please post pics for Dayna & Tony & don't forget baby red ear slider.
  • Susan S Susan S on Sep 21, 2012
    Sherrie - earlier in the summer my daughter's future f-i-l caught an enormous turtle in their pond. They put it in a large tub and then he relocated it to a public lake close by. He was eating all the fish in their pond. I only had my phone camera so didn't get a good picture but this guy was something else!!
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Sep 21, 2012
    Susan S, I never worried about turtles eating fish in my pond because I wasn't aware of the possible problem but now the fish are big enough to take care of themselves. I feed them well.
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 21, 2012
    Susan, beautiful turtle, of course I think all turtles are beautiful, but the picture is too far away for me to be able to tell what kind it is.
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 21, 2012
    So Sherrie, I tried this just a bit ago and it didn't go through, so I am sending it again.
  • Susan S Susan S on Sep 21, 2012
    Laurie - yeah I know - sorry 'bout that. I didn't know I was going to be introduced to him or I would have taken my real camera. I just know he was one big guy!!
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 21, 2012
    haha Sherrie, I have more pic's
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 21, 2012
    Ok, last but not least, I have a new addition, he just arrived today, flown in from Florida., Please meet Baby Baxter he is a Mississippi Map Turtle!!! So excited!!!
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Sep 21, 2012
    Laurie, why are we sending our turtles out of Florida? I really don't know enough about them but really love seeing them in my yard. You baby is so very cute.
    • See 1 previous
    • Comet Comet on Oct 25, 2015
      @Capernius He is probably NOT a HE at all---most likely a female looking for a sandy spot to lay her numerous eggs. You can tell by looking at the plastron--the under shell--if it is concave--scooped out like a bowl--it is a male; flat it is a female. Many turtles head away from their natural homes to lay eggs as they know they have to find a place where at least some of them will survive--most do not. Escort them off the road or sidewalks IN THE DIRECTION THEY WERE HEADED if you have any means of doing so or stop traffic to let her cross on her own. Algae etc on a shell is fine; normal for snappers and some others. We are losing these and other aquatic species rapidly--we need to do all we can to help them survive.
  • Susan S Susan S on Sep 21, 2012
    Laurie - wow - he is absolutely gorgeous!! The markings look like artwork!! Wish I had a resin turtle that I could paint to look like him!! Did you see my turtle post of my yard figurines? They were just for fun - NOT trying to imitate reality!!
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 21, 2012
    Ok Sherri S., here goes, I have lots of pic's of my beautiful turtles and just received my newest addition today, baby Baxter.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Sep 21, 2012
    Laurie B, I agree that YOUR baby Baxter is beautiful but I wonder why we in Florida don't keep him here but you stated he is a Mississippi Map turtle. Does that mean he is a runaway from Mississippi?
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 21, 2012
    No Sherrie, I understand your concern., these are turtles that are born into captivity and raised and then sold by breeders, no different than a dog breeder. There are so many wild turtles and they need to stay wild. Like the one you found., had you decided to keep it? I am sure it would have never made it. And no, Baxter isn't a runaway., he was born into captivity by a loving home who will only sell to people like me who will care and love them as pets and not turn them loose into ponds after years of captivity because of size.
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 21, 2012
    Susan S., he is beautiful and I will check out your yardwork, you are more than welcome to paint a picture of him., let me know if I can send you any photos. He is an absolute love!!!
  • Susan S Susan S on Sep 21, 2012
    Laurie, bear in mind, mine were whimsical and just for fun. Clearly not intended to be representative of a real turtles colorations in any way. I have a question though. If a turtle such as the one Sherrie saw should definitely be left alone and not attempted to be domesticated then the ones that are raised to be pets should likewise not be set free to fend for themselves? Is that what I'm understanding? I happen to know Sherrie is an avid animal activist and has the best interest first and foremost of all the wild creatures she comes across on her property. You'll never have to worry about her!!
  • Laurie B Laurie B on Sep 22, 2012
    Yes Susan, that is absolutely correct. That is why it is so important that people realize oh the cute little female turtle the size of a quarter that you can purchase in pet shops around the world, will not stay little and females grow larger than males. Often topping out between 9 and 12 inches. Well then they don't want them anymore and are put into ponds, lakes, etc. I suppose being of a large size they may be able to adjust, but are used to being fed sometimes hand fed every day to now having to find their own food. I know It is crazy. To me they are the most perfect animal.!!
  • Susan S Susan S on Sep 22, 2012
    Laurie - I think you are exactly right. People buy cute "little" whatever the animal or reptile is and they don't stop to think - OH, this guy's gonna grow and potentially get much bigger. Then they have a problem. It also doesn't occur to them that they have no idea how to forage for their own food and it doesn't just come naturally if they've always been hand fed.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Sep 22, 2012
    Laurie B & Susan S, yes people do buy or capture living wildlife and then realize they don't want it so they get rid of it by whatever means. I believe in providing food, shelter and safety to wildlife and letting them live as naturally as they can. Nature takes care of them & that is called the laws of nature. We can't control it.
  • Susan S Susan S on Sep 22, 2012
    You're right Sherrie - we were only talking about the pets people buy, then discard. There's absolutely nothing wrong w/supplementing the food sources of the "wild things" that reside along side of us. It's no different that putting out nectar for the hummers or birdseed for wild birds!!
  • Taylor Taylor on Sep 08, 2013
    I love turtles and that was the right thing to do
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jun 20, 2014
    Today this turtle showed up & maybe I will learn what kind of turtle he is. Most of mine have been so dirty/algae covered we could't tell. I tried to get a better pic but he apparently moves faster than we think.
    • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jun 21, 2014
      @Sherrie S He's a box turtle. I have two or three that regularly hang out in my yard.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jun 23, 2014
    Thank you @Douglas Hunt I bought a fake turtle on a fake lily for my pond. I have real frogs that sit on the lilies but I never saw a turtle do that.
  • Capernius Capernius on May 26, 2015
    I must confess that I love turtles(all kinds) & reptiles.... however, I love them more when they are free in the wild. Now does this mean I'm against having turtles as pets? No it does NOT mean that. It just means that as much as I love seeing turtles, I have no desire to have one as a pet...I just enjoy them more in nature than I would if I had a turtle habitat in my home. To those that have turtles, as long as they are properly cared for, I have no problem with that.
  • Sarah Sarah on Apr 01, 2016
    He is so cute!!!!