Someday my map turtle Maynard is going to get too big to be held in any of my tanks so i was wondering if I can set his free in one of my local ponds. Will he be okay? Will his instincts be enough to ensure his survival? Can he learn to survive the harsh Nebraska winters if he has never lived through one?
turtle question!
- Thread starter Dr.Gonzo
- Start date
Lorazoo, you don't even know what kind of turtle it is. Tsk-tsk.
Some people
Many species of turtle native to the midwest can be effectively reared to comfortable maturity and bred in aquaria. Exceptions are made for Alligator Snapper and Common Snapper; they're both tragically messy and require huge amounts of space.
My concern would be since it's wild-caught, it could harbor salmonella. That's a big risk if there are kids around as the dirty lottle angels don't tend to wash their hands as often as they should.
As it's wild caught, instinct will prevail. Survival may not, however, since the little bugger doesn't much know about avoiding predators.
A reasonable alternative would be to rear the turtle to between 6"-9" shell-length. It'd be too large for most any fish, except a monster catfish, to eat. This would require at least a 55-gal and between 3-6 years of growth depending upon current size, nutrition, species and general health.
Turtles DO require UV light!! You're only dealing them a slow and painful death if you don't have a basking area illuminated with an ultraviolet bulb. That's a cost you're committed to if you're going to give the critter a fighting chance.
Or, you could take a risk and turn it in at a State conservation center. They might just release it to the wild, could put it in captivity, AND could probably prosecute you for posessing wildlife illegally (depending on technicalities if you carry a fish/game permit).
Me? I'd rear and release as described, to a habitat preferred by the species in question (whichever that may be, homework required).
Some people
Many species of turtle native to the midwest can be effectively reared to comfortable maturity and bred in aquaria. Exceptions are made for Alligator Snapper and Common Snapper; they're both tragically messy and require huge amounts of space.
My concern would be since it's wild-caught, it could harbor salmonella. That's a big risk if there are kids around as the dirty lottle angels don't tend to wash their hands as often as they should.
As it's wild caught, instinct will prevail. Survival may not, however, since the little bugger doesn't much know about avoiding predators.
A reasonable alternative would be to rear the turtle to between 6"-9" shell-length. It'd be too large for most any fish, except a monster catfish, to eat. This would require at least a 55-gal and between 3-6 years of growth depending upon current size, nutrition, species and general health.
Turtles DO require UV light!! You're only dealing them a slow and painful death if you don't have a basking area illuminated with an ultraviolet bulb. That's a cost you're committed to if you're going to give the critter a fighting chance.
Or, you could take a risk and turn it in at a State conservation center. They might just release it to the wild, could put it in captivity, AND could probably prosecute you for posessing wildlife illegally (depending on technicalities if you carry a fish/game permit).
Me? I'd rear and release as described, to a habitat preferred by the species in question (whichever that may be, homework required).
Etheostoma said:
Lorazoo, you don't even know what kind of turtle it is. Tsk-tsk.
Some people
Many species of turtle native to the midwest can be effectively reared to comfortable maturity and bred in aquaria. Exceptions are made for Alligator Snapper and Common Snapper; they're both tragically messy and require huge amounts of space.
My concern would be since it's wild-caught, it could harbor salmonella. That's a big risk if there are kids around as the dirty lottle angels don't tend to wash their hands as often as they should.
As it's wild caught, instinct will prevail. Survival may not, however, since the little bugger doesn't much know about avoiding predators.
A reasonable alternative would be to rear the turtle to between 6"-9" shell-length. It'd be too large for most any fish, except a monster catfish, to eat. This would require at least a 55-gal and between 3-6 years of growth depending upon current size, nutrition, species and general health.
Turtles DO require UV light!! You're only dealing them a slow and painful death if you don't have a basking area illuminated with an ultraviolet bulb. That's a cost you're committed to if you're going to give the critter a fighting chance.
Or, you could take a risk and turn it in at a State conservation center. They might just release it to the wild, could put it in captivity, AND could probably prosecute you for posessing wildlife illegally (depending on technicalities if you carry a fish/game permit).
Me? I'd rear and release as described, to a habitat preferred by the species in question (whichever that may be, homework required).
Some people
Many species of turtle native to the midwest can be effectively reared to comfortable maturity and bred in aquaria. Exceptions are made for Alligator Snapper and Common Snapper; they're both tragically messy and require huge amounts of space.
My concern would be since it's wild-caught, it could harbor salmonella. That's a big risk if there are kids around as the dirty lottle angels don't tend to wash their hands as often as they should.
As it's wild caught, instinct will prevail. Survival may not, however, since the little bugger doesn't much know about avoiding predators.
A reasonable alternative would be to rear the turtle to between 6"-9" shell-length. It'd be too large for most any fish, except a monster catfish, to eat. This would require at least a 55-gal and between 3-6 years of growth depending upon current size, nutrition, species and general health.
Turtles DO require UV light!! You're only dealing them a slow and painful death if you don't have a basking area illuminated with an ultraviolet bulb. That's a cost you're committed to if you're going to give the critter a fighting chance.
Or, you could take a risk and turn it in at a State conservation center. They might just release it to the wild, could put it in captivity, AND could probably prosecute you for posessing wildlife illegally (depending on technicalities if you carry a fish/game permit).
Me? I'd rear and release as described, to a habitat preferred by the species in question (whichever that may be, homework required).
