Found a snapper, need help

[shaggybill]

Today I found a baby snapper (carapace = 2") on a busy road in the middle of town. I stopped and picked it up, even though the cars behind me probably thought I was crazy. Im thinking of keeping it over the winter, and I had a few questions about them.

1: What should I feed it? real food (worms, bugs, etc) or fake turtle food?

2: Are they baskers or do they prefer hanging out in the water?

3: Should I make the terrerium mostly water or mostly land?

4: If I want to release it come Spring, is that an OK thing to do, or is the risk too big for parasites, etc? If its not a good idea, I will release it tomorrow.

5: If it is ok to release it next Spring, or if I let it go tomorrow, can I release it somewhere else? The chances of him surviving where I found him are probably nil to 0.

6: I know the basic care of snakes. Is turtle care similar as far as temps go, etc?

Thanks for any ideas, suggestions, or tips you can pass along.

[Shad0w]

Give it as much natural food as you can... worms are good... pieces of cooked chicken, beef, rosy reds (minnows) are also good... dont bother with the fake turtle food...

They are not usually baskers.. but babies I find appreciate a spot to climb out and dry off every once in a while...

Make the tank all water... except for maybe a small spot where he can dry off...

releasing in the spring should be fine... You could release tommorow also...

In terms of temps... snappers will do fine with normal room temp... but you can add a water heater and keep it around 80 if you wish... mine do fine either way...

[Shad0w]

Oh... and for further info... check out chelydra.org

[snakers55]

My reccomendation is to let it go in the nearest pond that you found it.. If you keep it over the winter, it can pick up diseases and such that are not natural in the wild and can actually transmit these diseases to the natural population of turtle which could result in killing off several other turtles, or your snapper picking up something from one of them, killing it..

[snakers55]

One more thing, when a reptile is taken from one location, and moved to another, no matter the distance, it will try to get back to where it was beforehand..

[Shad0w]

I could be completely wrong here.. but I think that reptiles homing if moved to a suitable location is an urban legend...

Anyone else wanna chime in on this?

[Big_V]

Originally posted by snakers55
One more thing, when a reptile is taken from one location, and moved to another, no matter the distance, it will try to get back to where it was beforehand..

Dont think that is really true there snakers55. For instance the Massasauga Rattlesnake if removed and not placed back in the same spot has a hard time surviving for some reason.
These creatures dont have homing devices built, or dont use magnetism etc such as birds.

[shaggybill]

I'd be happy to release it tomorrow, Im just worried about it being able to survive. He's a cool little guy. Here he is...

<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/HP_turtle_1.jpg'>
<br>
He's actually a little smaller than 2 inches. I'd say 1 1/2".
<img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/HP_turtle_3.jpg'>

Anyways, like I was saying, the road he was on is a really busy one and there's houses all around. If I release him at a Forest or something, will he survive the winter not knowing where to go to hibernate?

If I keep him until Spring, like you say, he might transmit diseases to other turtles. So I have a delimna.

My question is, what would be best for the turtle?

[snakers55]

Heh.. Not to sound rude or anything, but he should survive just fine.. They havn't seen the rise and fall of the dinosaurs with help from anyone.. I could be wrong, but I have had many knowledgeable people tell me that turtles will try to find their way back to their original ponds.. How do sea turtles migrate back to the same nesting sites every year?? Also, on TV I have seen shows on crocodiles when they attach transmitters to a captured crocodile, release it miles from the capture site, and find it back in the first spot a couple of days later. To answer your question, releasing it is best for it. Release him in a pond, not the forest, as they are an aquatic species.

[shaggybill]

Thanks for you help. The Forest I was talking about has a large weedy pond. I guess I should have clarified. So you think he'll do alright in the winter without having a hibernaculum?

[Removed_2815]

Yes, there are in fact plenty of reptiles that can locate their home ranges if transported a sometimes considerable distance away. Chelydra serpentina is one such animal. We have plenty of data for radio-tagged adults traveling through streams and over land sometimes more than a kilometer to reach its home pond. Believe the hype - it is not an urban legend.
Also, contrary to Shad0w's post, releasing in the spring is really not fine. I know your intentions are good and your heart is in the right place, but the best thing for the turtle is for it to be released into a location nearby to where you found it. Adults exhibit a strong nest site fidelity and that means that a female is laying her eggs near to where you found the turtle and the turtles are surviving. If the turtles were not surviving than this nest site would be quickly selected against.
Releasing the turtle near water is best as it will require a body of water to hibernate in.
Basically, keeping an animal in captivity and then releasing it into the wild months later is bad news all around, both for the individual and, potentially, the surrounding populations.
If you have anymore specific questions please post them.
Cheers,
Ryan
P.S. Also, good job on getting him off the road!

[Removed_2815]

Some good things were said here (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46094&highlight=garter) about the potential threat of temporarily keeping (and subsequently releasing) a wild reptile.
Cheers,
Ryan

[shaggybill]

Thanks Ryan, I'm getting ready to go release him now. Like you said, if there's a baby in the area, then there's got to be a mom close by. And if she can survive, the little guy can too.

[Removed_2815]

Good on ya! You know, it really is the best thing to do, plus you can feel good about your decision and now you don't have to worry about housing a Snapper...
Best regards,
Ryan

[wetlander]

I like stories with a happy ending