...and I need some advice.
I found a cute little turtle in a parking lot close to Lake Erie. He was hanging out in a big puddle of standing water. I didn't think to much of it since I figured no one would try to park in this big puddle of standing water. I was wrong. Someone pulled right in and I jumped out of my car and stopped the lady. She then pulled out and I was able to fish the little guy out of the puddle. Then I made a big mistake.
I, being someone who does not know very much about turtles, thought well he must have come up from the lake. So I took him down to the beach. The waves were kinda big but he started to head toward the water so I just happily watched, until he made it and then proceeded to get tossed around like a rag doll and was struggling so bad to get back to the beach. Yup complete screw up on my part. So off come my shoes and socks and I roll up my jeans and wade in trying to pick him off as the waves push him back to the shore. I got soaked, but I was finally able to grab him and breath a sigh of relief that I didn't end up sending the poor little guy to his death after saving him from being smooshed.
So now what I have is a common midland painted turtle which appears to be quite common in these parts. I have the perfect spot to release him at but I just want to make sure that its the right thing to do. I plan on taking him to a local nature preserve and put him there where there are tons of other turtles just like him. Will this be OK? Turtles are not territorial are they? I couldn't find a single spot that would be where a turtle would come from in the area where I found him (not even sure how the little bugger got there in the first place since he certainly didn't come from the lake and there is no other water sources near that parking lot.) Any risk of getting in trouble if I release him there? He is an Ohio species so I wouldn't be "dumping" a pet store turtle.
And of course some pictures of my little rescue reptile.
I found a cute little turtle in a parking lot close to Lake Erie. He was hanging out in a big puddle of standing water. I didn't think to much of it since I figured no one would try to park in this big puddle of standing water. I was wrong. Someone pulled right in and I jumped out of my car and stopped the lady. She then pulled out and I was able to fish the little guy out of the puddle. Then I made a big mistake.
I, being someone who does not know very much about turtles, thought well he must have come up from the lake. So I took him down to the beach. The waves were kinda big but he started to head toward the water so I just happily watched, until he made it and then proceeded to get tossed around like a rag doll and was struggling so bad to get back to the beach. Yup complete screw up on my part. So off come my shoes and socks and I roll up my jeans and wade in trying to pick him off as the waves push him back to the shore. I got soaked, but I was finally able to grab him and breath a sigh of relief that I didn't end up sending the poor little guy to his death after saving him from being smooshed.
So now what I have is a common midland painted turtle which appears to be quite common in these parts. I have the perfect spot to release him at but I just want to make sure that its the right thing to do. I plan on taking him to a local nature preserve and put him there where there are tons of other turtles just like him. Will this be OK? Turtles are not territorial are they? I couldn't find a single spot that would be where a turtle would come from in the area where I found him (not even sure how the little bugger got there in the first place since he certainly didn't come from the lake and there is no other water sources near that parking lot.) Any risk of getting in trouble if I release him there? He is an Ohio species so I wouldn't be "dumping" a pet store turtle.
And of course some pictures of my little rescue reptile.