Help! I found a turtle on front step - now what do I do??

[maui]

Originally posted by catlover67
email him a photo, maybe he can specifically identify which kind of box turtle you found! here is the link:http://www.billsboxturtles.com/

Catlover,

I got a response back from Bill within hours at the turtle link you gave me

He said that Mr Turtle is a mature male Terrapene carolina triunguis (3 toed Box Turtle) native to the Mississippi River Valley — so definitely not native to Northern CA. It's fun to actually read about the specific breed.

Right now his favorite foods are strawberries and nectarines. He hasn't eaten much lettuce or cabbage. One of the live crickets I put in his house escaped into the living room. The light was dim and I had trouble catching it, but my calico helped me by stalking it, so I just followed the calico around until I got the cricket back and put him back in the turtle house.

 

[maui]

Originally posted by Missy&SpikesMom
WELL, he grabbed onto that handle with his big old mouth and teeth--and I found out quickly, that he was a big SNAPPING TURTLE!!! (Can you tell I am a city-raised girl?! hahahaha

)

Thank goodness you used an umbrella!!!!! YIKES!! I am assuming you got your umbrella back in one piece?!

 

[catlover67]

Wow, what a specific name! Now you probably know exactly how to care for him and what to feed him. Keep us posted!

Helping to bring Lost and Missing cats back home (and turtles too! LOL!)

 

[annabelle33]

I have a ton of snapping turtles that live in my yard because we have a creek and a marshy swamp land.. They don't bother us if we don't bother them.. lol.. One tried to attack the riding mower once when my mom was on it..

 

[maui]

Golly wolly, the snapping turtles are bringing to mind the part of the Kingsolver novel "Prodigal Summer" where the elderly guy walking through some swampy grassy area, gets snagged on his boot by a snapper but he doesn't realize it and thinks he is having trouble walking cuz he is having a heart attack!!

 

[dragonlady]

Mr Turtle looks like a Mrs to me. The males underside suck in so they can fit together during mating.