SeaPony said:
I think the most important thing is to find out what kind of turtle he is and decide if you want to put forth the effort and commitment to care for it for a VERY long time.
I keep a rescued Eastern Painted Turtle that I've had for about 8 years now. I love her! She lives in water with dry areas. She only eats under water. Water turtles are dirty, especially mud and musk turtles. If you keep one, you have to have a great filtration system. There's lots of info on the internet. Some of it is actually helpful and true!
I wouln't want to release your baby. There are so many things that eat baby turtles! (Including bigger turtles).
Good luck!
OK People....Please understand this fact: It is illegal to keep wild animals as pets. PERIOD.
Unless you have a permit from Department of Natural Resourses, MD to keep it, rehab it, show it, you can not keep it as a pet.
Every wild animal has its own needs and own diet that nature provides a heck of a lot better than you can.
Keeping a wild animal captive, preventing it from being able to live in the wild and to reproduce is cruel.
There are quite a few folks here who will slam me with red...and they will say keep it, raise it.
There are others too who keep what they find because they think they have a right to, or it is cool or that they think they can raise it and make a pet and impress friends.
If you are going to steal, kidnap wildlife..dont advertise the fact, dont post it here, and ask forgiveness after it dies a prisioner of your ego.
Wildlife is wild,....leave it there or get it to a licensed wildlife rehabber.
We are here and are trained to properly care for, rehab with the goal to release all wildife in Maryland.
So quit telling this gal to keep it as a pet, to do this or do that...and Paso...if the turtle had not been taken, nature would have taken its course..
and if being eaten by another animal is that outcome, then the turtle has fullfilled one of its purposes..to be part of the food chain.
Either turn it loose or turn it over to a rehabber before more damage is done to this turtle.
Thank you.....
A licensed Wildlife Rehabber advocating on behalf of all wildlife.