Help me decide what is right and what is best..

[Red Devil]

At least in Ohio, it is illegal to release an animal into public waters. However, it is legal to release them into private ponds. A 9" snapping turtle would not have many, if any, enemies, especially in a pond. New York may be different, so you should check.

So if you don't release him, what will you do with him? He will get larger. Usually they get around 12-15 inches SCL, but he could get even bigger.

I own the property across from me with the swamp and wildlife..so that part is fine..it is my property and partial neighbors property..rural setting.. no one goes there except hunting in nov for deer.. So that part would be perfectly legal..He will get larger and heavier.. haha..but i am sure he would do fine with the rubbermaid tank set up.. the only thing that did bother me is he is becoming quite the snapper.. and i have wires from heater in his tank now.. and i always feed him on the other side because i can see him snapping into the electrical wire by accident with those strong choppers so i suggested to hubby the other day we stick the wire through pvc pipe to be safer.. for him. So we will have to do all that too when we set up filters etc..

 

[Nic]

good luck post some good pics of its bottom end somebody will be able to tell you what the sex is plus with the start of this thread it is required you post some better shots of the turtle

 

[Red Devil]

good luck post some good pics of its bottom end somebody will be able to tell you what the sex is plus with the start of this thread it is required you post some better shots of the turtle

okay will definitly do the whole body of turtle pics

 

[Red Devil]

heres a couple of pics,, hope someone can sex him..

 

[Nic]

whoa that's a nice snapper ill show these pics to my brother in law if nobody ID's it by then but at any point you can send it my way liz

 

[Red Devil]

whoa that's a nice snapper ill show these pics to my brother in law if nobody ID's it by then but at any point you can send it my way liz

i will keep that in mind Nic..thanks !

 

[Miguel]

I think it is a male, Lizz, but this is just guesswork ( big tail and the form of the plastron ).

If it were in a terrain of mine ( as opposed to a public setting ) I would release it, period. I undesratnd all the arguments, but: it is a native, it is not a given that it has brought onto itself any sickness. In doubt, take it to a vet before.

we are not talking about releasing Piranhas in the state of New York.

 

[Nic]

aye but the fish has been captive raised so it may be healthy and get a clear bill of health but could die from a parasite or type of bacteria that it never incountered before etc.......

 

[Miguel]

aye but the fish has been captive raised so it may be healthy and get a clear bill of health but could die from a parasite or type of bacteria that it never incountered before etc.......

if that were the case, Nic, it would not be a problem. It would die of a disease which is already there ( as opposed to one it would bring from captivity into the wild settings ) and it would experience freedom before dying a rich turtles death, in a pond.

It should not have been captive from the onset, but since it was, in a terrain of mine, it would go free ( and exactly as Lizz says, when the heat starts coming, so it has time to adapt ).

 

[Red Devil]

if that were the case, Nic, it would not be a problem. It would die of a disease which is already there ( as opposed to one it would bring from captivity into the wild settings ) and it would experience freedom before dying a rich turtles death, in a pond.

It should not have been captive from the onset, but since it was, in a terrain of mine, it would go free ( and exactly as Lizz says, when the heat starts coming, so it has time to adapt ).

I am sure he has a clean bill of health..there has never been anyone in with him since he was a hatchling.. i doubt he spent 5 mins of freedom before my husband rescued it from a dog.still partly attached to his shell from the egg.. what i was concerned with was him being immune against the diseases in nature.. anyway if he were not set free in the next week i would not do it at all this year.. i just suddenly looked at him yesterday as i was feeding him arow pellets and wondered once again if i was doing right by him.. he has a nice home and good care but he has nothing to see but the 4 walls of glass, as of now.. and later it will be walls of plastic.. a whole lot bigger .. but still not like the world of nature.. anyway he is going to be with me because i do love the guy in a sentimental way.. so unless i could be at least sure that he had a good chance out there i can't do it.. maybe a zoo will take him when he gets really big.. and yes miguel this is his native habitat.. and he would have to learn survival as a new born so it would give him 5 months to learn the habitat and survival as a junior..i just wish we really had some documentation of actually releasing and tracking turtles from captivity.. into the wild.. so tempting i must admit because it is a beautiful remote area of wildlife..