If you are in a turtle-heavy area, it’s likely that at some point in your life you will find one wandering around outside of the water.
If this has happened to you and you don’t want them to wander off into traffic or get themselves lost, then read on for some helpful tips!
When you found a turtle in your yard, best thing you can do is leave it alone. Also make sure there arent any dangerous animals that can harm the turtle like racoon or cats. Also if the turtle is injured you should take it to vet immediatetly.
Tips to Care for Adult Turtles In Your Yard
If you spot a turtle in your front yard, there are a few things that you should do right away. First of all, make sure the turtle is not injured – if they are, call animal control or take it to a veterinarian immediately!
Watch Out For Any Threats
Secondly, make sure the turtle isn’t in any immediate danger from cars or predators. If they are, get them to safety as soon as possible!
Otherwise, take a minute to learn more about their needs and how you can care for them before releasing it back into the wild.
The raccoon is a common enemy of the turtle.
If you spot any other animals in the yard with this pet, and they’re coming too close to it, scare them away by shouting loudly or throwing stones at them.
If you don’t want to care for the turtle yourself, take it to your nearest animal shelter.
Call ahead and make sure that they can accept a turtle before going there – some shelters will not be able to help!
Provide a Safe Environment
Next, make sure the turtle has access to fresh water and shade; provide these two needs using an outdoor turtle habitat with an attached pond and shady area.
Turtles need this kind of environment year-round so make sure they have enough space for their needs.
If you don’t know how to care for turtles properly then be sure to ask someone who does!
One of the most important turtle habitats is an outdoor turtle habitat with a pond and shade to provide water and shelter.
Alternatively, you can use a separate aquatic tank to hold your turtle until help arrives.
This turtle habitat is going to need a large, outdoor space.
Start by researching the needs of your turtle and figure out how much room they lying around, it could provide some shelter in the event of an emergency.
Turtles need this type of environment year-round, so make sure they have enough space for their needs!
If you don’t know how to care for turtles properly then be sure to ask someone who does!
Stay Calm
A turtle is probably not going to do anything harmful if they’re just walking around.
They might be looking for food or have been displaced from their home but either way they would appreciate it if people weren’t freaking out about them.
Don’t panic.
When seeing the turtle, find a towel to help pick it up.
Panicking will only cause stress on the turtle’s end.
So you’ll have to pick them up quickly before they escape, but be gentle about it.
Most turtle bites to people are in areas that were bitten through their skin or ate something that the turtle had eaten (that was covered with bacteria).
So if you’re able to pick up a towel and move slowly without panicking then there should be no reason for concern.
Don’t Touch
Turtles are delicate animals so it’s crucial not to touch them if they’re in the wild.
The best way to handle one is by using something soft and gentle like your hands or even clothes, but never pick up turtles with bare skin of any kind!
Wrap them in a towel or piece of cloth if you need to move it.
Be gentle and be careful not to drop the turtle because they can live for hours out of water before they die, but there are generally only seconds before their brain starts shutting down without oxygen.
How to Care for Baby Turtles in Your Yard
You would think that protecting baby turtles from predators is the most important thing.
But they also need to be shielded against sunburn and dehydration, so in addition to a shady place for protection during daylight hours, they should have an area with access to fresh water at all times.
You’d never know it by looking but baby turtles require more care than adults since they are defenseless and can become targets of predators (foxes, skunks bobcats etc.).
So besides providing them shade during daytime hours when its sunny out – don’t forget about giving their little turtle bodies some cool water!
Keep Pets Away From the Turtle
Regardless if you have a cat or dog in your house, you’lll want to keep them away from your turtle.
Cats especially, will see a turtle as prey and may injure them by scratching or crunching their shell.
Also read ->Do Turtles Get Along With Cats?
Close the yard door before rescuing the baby turtle.
Doing so will prevent your pets from chasing or attacking the turtle.
Take Turtle to a Wildlife Rescue Organization
If you are not able or willing to care for the turtle, take it to a local animal shelter. The turtle will be evaluated and given proper care by qualified staff members of that facility.
This is especially important if you have pets whose bites can harm the turtle’s shell which may lead to serious injury.
Find the wildlife rescue organization’s phone number.
Save it somewhere so you can quickly call them in the event a turtle emergency arises.
*Note: if turtle is injured and cannot be released back into the wild, they will stay at the animal shelter until a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center picks them up.
Here is video on what should you do if you found baby turtle in your yard.
Conclusion
To conclude, always make sure to protect the turtle once it enters your yard.
By doing so you are ensuring that they will be safe and away from any danger of being harmed or killed while in their natural habitat.
Hopefully this article has been helpful for those who have never had a pet before as well as those with pets already since everyone wants what is best for them!
Also read
References
Sea Turtle conservancy – Information About Sea Turtles: Conservation Strategies
