Evelyn1919

well.... yesterday when my parents were driving home they found a turtle in the middle of the road!!! so they decided i would know what to do with it but i didn't. i went to my LFS and asked them if they could take it cuz i've seen them there but they said it was too big for them to have it there so since last night it's been sitting in a bucket in my livingroom. i asked at the LFS what i could do with it and they said i should just take it to a park where there is pond or something and let it lose....is this what i should do?

Lucy

They gave you good advice. It's a wild animal and would be happier and healthier back in it's own environment.
This time of year turtles are always crossing the road.
Next time, if you want to help it, just take it to the side of the road it was heading in the first place.

Shawnie

we actually have bright red signs on some major highways warning people of "turtle crossing, may-oct" ...I often wonder at 55mph how we should stop on a dime!

I havent seen any yet, but when I do, I actually pull over and play chicken trying to get the buggers across LOL

Evelyn1919

ok will do that then. i'll take it to a really nice park that has a nice pond and just leave it there after work. it's really nice red ear slider... i used to have one but this one is HUGE.

COBettaCouple

Yea, we'd often see them crossing the road near where we lived in Florida and would pull over, grab the turtle and put it on the side of the road, heading AWAY from the road.

Evelyn1919

well i went last night and left it in the park. there is a nice pond/river going on there so i put it in the water and it started swiming away. soooo cute!!!

sirdarksol

For future reference (to everybody here), the DNR's suggestion on what to do with turtles is as follows;
If they are in a dangerous area, like in the middle of the road, help them across. Don't put them back on the side they came from, even if that's where there's water, because they were going the way they were going for a reason, and will just try to cross the road again.

Also, it is technically illegal to keep locally caught native critters (in most states, at least), though this law is rarely enforced.