# wild baby snapping turtle help?



## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

i was walking my dogs around a small lake and saw a 2" shelled common snapping turtle dasking with alot of leaches on its body. i took him home and poured salt on the leaches. he is leach free, but not to snappy. hes limp. i went to the pet store and gave him one small feeder alive and one feeder dead. i have him in a bucket with some swampy water and a basking area for now until i get him in a 10 gallon tonight. the nature center is closed. so is there any way i could bring him back then let him go in the wild? his shell is pretty soft as well, and i live in minnesota where the lakes just unfroze... if anyone has any advice that would be great. i have a huge pet painted turtle also


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Now it'll probably associate with people... Or cars... I'd ask the shelter, but if it's legal in your state, you just got a new pet! I need pictures and IT needs U.V. light on its shell.


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

funlad3 said:


> Now it'll probably associate with people... Or cars... I'd ask the shelter, but if it's legal in your state, you just got a new pet! I need pictures and IT needs U.V. light on its shell.


currently im not at the house yet so he wont get into my tank for another few hours. but im pretty sure its legal. ill post pictures when i get pictures. i have a ten gallon cycled and i have some of the swampy hair algae and lake water.. hopefully he will get better. i have him under normal sunlight atm due to no uv light :/

the parents house is vwery hard to find fish savvy equipment in a pinch :/


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Good luck! I love snapping turtles! (You should see the one at the Shedd Aquarium. It's about 50 lbs. .)


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

funlad3 said:


> Good luck! I love snapping turtles! (You should see the one at the Shedd Aquarium. It's about 50 lbs. .)


yea i love turtles and stuff too. i have pictures but idk how to upload them on here. maybe ill post them to my profile?


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=28i88s1&s=7
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2s7gqxg&s=7
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2cgez5v&s=7


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## Bettawhisperer (Oct 1, 2010)

Take it back and put it right where you found it. It's a wild aminal and will survive just find.


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

^^^ i really dont want to disrupt natural selection, id feel better taking it to the nature center but they are closed perhaps tomorrow.


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

whatever you do don't keep it. Snappers are really not good pets. As mentioned they get huge for one thing.


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

Mikaila31 said:


> whatever you do don't keep it. Snappers are really not good pets. As mentioned they get huge for one thing.


yea im going to wait it out until i can get him to the nature center on my day off. or hell see how he is in a few hours and send him back.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

I can already tell you're going to keep it. Get it at least a 55 to start out and don't be surprised if it ends up in a 200+!


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

Funlad snappers are not pet material. for one thing they get absolutely massive and would need an entire room to house. For another thing ive seen them bite canoe paddles in half, they are tame by no means and if it ever decided to snap at him once it was older he would be lucky to come away with a broken limb, if he was unlucky he would come away short fingers at the minimum

If you cant put it back where you found it I would recomend taking it in to a nature preserve. the Biologists there would likely have the materials to take care of it and eventualy release it back into the wild themselves.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

I know that they aren't safe as pets, but I'm familiar with that tone... 

Alright... Disregard everything I've said here! ;-)


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## Bettawhisperer (Oct 1, 2010)

Corwin is right. They are extremely dangerous to have around. They can grow up to 200Lbs. or more. What every you do get rid of it.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

Take him back right away. Collecting wild reptiles and releasing them into the wild ca pose serious risk to an eco system. Just by having him around your captive turtle could introduce diseases into the habitat that arnt naturally present. Same with using pet store feeders. Most states have laws against collecting a wild animal and realeasing it even if only for a day. If you take him to the nature center its likely they may just put it to sleep. Don't keep him theyget way to huge and need very expensive lighting to live happy and healthy. Feeder fish are not good for them in the slightest bit while they provide good calcium they can do far more harm than good. Its also very hard to give proper calcium doses to a turtle especially one that only feeds under water.


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

i put him back. i wasnt planning on keeping him in the first place really. i have to many pets as it is. thanks for the advice on how to care for him


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## Bettawhisperer (Oct 1, 2010)

Good. Glad to hear you put him back. Trust me he'll be much happier there.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

rewindthelies said:


> i put him back. i wasnt planning on keeping him in the first place really. i have to many pets as it is. thanks for the advice on how to care for him


thank you for doing the right thing. I know its hard to resist the temptation to keep an animal found in the wild but its best just to let nature take its course. Especially with reptiles and fish since there are so many diseases found in captivity that are not present in the wild. Thats exactly how chytrid got started which has been one of the most devestating diseases to amphibians not only in the wild but in captivity also. spreed to many wild populations whiping some out completely then when people wild collect frogs and sell them it infects captive colonies as well.


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

Rev you ever visited Aqualand? They sell some turtles, but have a huge mata mata on display that someone left on their doorstep years ago. 

Usually only time I have turtles is when I pick them up off the roadside. Only painted turtles, Wisconsin though is like turtle central. Usually they run all around my car floor as I drive them to the nearest lake. I've gotten lucky and caught a few kayaking, which is not easy at all. I ran into a log with my boat that ended up being a snapping turtle. A friend did the same to a mink lol. Can't wait to get my boat out for this summer. I kayak at willow river state park alot, below the Falls, at least once a week. I do what I call 'flip flop patrol', always return to the ramp with at least 6 flip flops. Sometimes if its really nice or after a holiday it gets crazy. I should log everything I remove this year. I remember a last summer with a friend, two boats and both were overflowing with garbage when we got back. Had about 2 dozen footwear items, then plastic bottles, cans, fishing bobbers, worm cups, ect. The parks have a carry-in-carry out rule for trash that sucks. It reeks horribly too. Usually my car, my boat, and myself need a shower when we pull a bunch of stuff out. 

Point of my off-topic story lol: take your shoes or flip flops off before playing in a waterfall!


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

yeah. i think me and you talked about aqualand before acutally and a world of fish. Both great stores. I dont mind them having turtles because they have them in huge ponds actually lol hopefully they dont sell them to dumb people though. and yeah the mata mata is totally bad ash lol. thats sweet though a kayak is something ive really really wanted to invest in but danggg are they expensive. Ive always just borrowed my cousins canoo and taken a day trip out with some friends. have had some pretty exciting adventures doing that. Me and a couple friends used to go on garbage patrol on our local hiking trails. Would always come back with multiple garbage bags full. That is until they turned lame and felt they had more important things to do. We always used to do our part to while out canooing but that changed as well. Need some new friends huh lol.


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

For kayaks, you just need to REALLY scour craigslist. Check everyday at least. Currently not many good deals are up, but its spring and usually kayaks are being sold in mid-summer or fall. They have the reputation of being expensive, but if you buy used they are actually not all that expensive IMO. I use a 9.5ft perception sound I bought off craigslist for around $250. My paddle and other extras like life vest and DIY hoist in the garage for winter storage push it to around $320 total. Renting a kayak from say the state park is $15 for the first hour, if you use a day rental from REI its about $60. Same with the outfitter in Riverfalls, they do a 3-4 hour trip plus a meal. The cheapest way to kayak is to own a boat. Used boats provided more security in the fact I can easily sell mine and get back almost all the money I put into it. 

The main thing is to remember short boats turn better and you can ninja around and into the narrowest of creeks. You usually have a deeper draft, though its still only a few inches. If you stop paddling a short boat quickly changes course. Longer boats are best on lakes and go much faster with less paddling, they don't dodge stuff well though.

I have no canoeing skills. Spent 4 days in the BWCA for a summer college class. Was great, but I only learned how to get that boat to go strait on the last day. Typical college students, we had a insane amount of gear. Pretty sure I fed half our bait worms to the garter snakes lol.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

"Pretty sure I fed half our bait worms to the garter snakes lol."

Did they swim out onto the water for you? It's crazy how they can do that!


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

lol i was in what was called school on the river in middle school. it was through 7th and 8th grade. we litteraly took 3 field trips every single week it was soooo awesome never having to be in class  we would go canooing like once a week our class had our own canoos. we did some camping trips as well and a lot of environmental studies. went fish shocking one time that was pretty sweet. just in a little trout creek no more than a few feet deep. they stick the little probe in and you wouldn't believe the monsters that come floating up to the surface. we also did a bunch of netting and stuff to catch fish. all our teachers had multiple huge fish tanks in the class rooms and they all had native fish permits. we had one project that was started right away after starting the class and was due by the end of the two years. counted for 50% of our grade. i waited til the very end to do mine and got an A on it. It was informational guides on native reptile and amphibian species. the USGS actually used it and put them out on their trails for hikers to read and look at.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

You should become a herpetologist at some zoo! You and you're many reptiles...


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

lol i wish! im applying for a management positon for pet care at the petsmart i work at here next week whent he manager leaves. Ive only been there 2 months all the other people have been multiple years and mostly all of them want me to get it  there is just one girl that will be my competition because she is the lead hopefully she doesn't want the position. I am just way more qualified then she.


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

Mikaila31 said:


> Rev you ever visited Aqualand? They sell some turtles, but have a huge mata mata on display that someone left on their doorstep years ago.
> 
> Usually only time I have turtles is when I pick them up off the roadside. Only painted turtles, Wisconsin though is like turtle central. Usually they run all around my car floor as I drive them to the nearest lake. I've gotten lucky and caught a few kayaking, which is not easy at all. I ran into a log with my boat that ended up being a snapping turtle. A friend did the same to a mink lol. Can't wait to get my boat out for this summer. I kayak at willow river state park alot, below the Falls, at least once a week. I do what I call 'flip flop patrol', always return to the ramp with at least 6 flip flops. Sometimes if its really nice or after a holiday it gets crazy. I should log everything I remove this year. I remember a last summer with a friend, two boats and both were overflowing with garbage when we got back. Had about 2 dozen footwear items, then plastic bottles, cans, fishing bobbers, worm cups, ect. The parks have a carry-in-carry out rule for trash that sucks. It reeks horribly too. Usually my car, my boat, and myself need a shower when we pull a bunch of stuff out.
> 
> Point of my off-topic story lol: take your shoes or flip flops off before playing in a waterfall!


i F-ING love aqualand


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## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

im concenred about my local lake. there is trash everywhere. the lake could use some loving. the snapper i found there had leeches everywhere and i have seen ducks basking on trash its sad. im thinking of doing a clean up crew while the cat tails are still down.


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

Yay for all us locals! Aqualand is a great store, I use A world of fish more because they do store credit easier. Most all my fish still come from the Minnesota aquarium society. I wanted to get my boat out this week, cuz like you said its a lot easier access when the plants haven't grown back yet. Even in a boat there are areas you can get right now that will be covered with marsh plants and surface algae in summer. Finding trash is obviously easier too. Anyway... I hope we all enjoyed the snow last night. I'll be waiting for a while before I hit the water. When I do it will still probably be 40 degrees at most .


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

That would be a good idea. Or perhapse you could try and get something together localy to have the community help clean the lake up


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