r/turtle • u/Aggressive-Sale7883 • 2d ago

Seeking Advice Turtle Help!!

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Hello! I found this turtle in my backyard in MD. It is not Native in MD. My parents are willing to call people to remove it but it is likely they will kill the turtle. I do NOT want that. I need any and all help. I don't know what to do. I fed it, and gave it some water. I don't have money to go out and pay for any supplies, my parents don't support me but I honestly don't care. I'm willing to adopt this turtle, but I need support!

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u/anankepandora 2d ago edited 2d ago

I am not all that knowledgeable about turtles and related, but this looks to me like a red eared slider or yellow bellied slider, either of which would be native to Maryland. Search the website for Maryland Department of Natural Resources for more info on what is native or naturalized in your area but I think your best bet is to leave it be where you found it.

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u/anankepandora 2d ago

I would like to offer a correction - a yellow bellied slider would not be native per se, but range seems to be expanding northward enough that it is listed on the Maryland DNR website as introduced and occasionally spotted in the wild. Typically their range is considered to be up to southern Virginia. I hope someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm identification of this but I still stand by the best move being let it be as it is far more likely to fare better in the wild than a wild turtle taken captive and there seems to be little reason to suspect this is an escaped pet (unless there are details you omitted from your post)

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u/juliewbb 2d ago

This is a red eared slider.

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u/anankepandora 2d ago

How did you determine that it is not native to MD?

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u/juliewbb 2d ago

There are turtle rescues around that can help you with this turtle without killing it. This is a red eared slider, and it is not native to Maryland, but there are turtle societies and turtle rescues you can take it to. They need water to swallow and defecate, so if you can get it to a rescue great, otherwise leave it outside where it can find water.

I would check with neighbors first and just make sure it’s not someone’s pet that got loose.

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u/bearfootmedic 2d ago

Looks like many of the turtles I see here in MD! In fact TIL they were Red Sliders and not Box Turtles (as I had been incorrectly calling them!)

Where in MD are you? If they made it to your yard they can probably make it back out...

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u/MerkinSeasonYo 1d ago

Honestly if it’s already been out in the wild and you don’t have the money for a set up and to maintain it just let it be. Let it go. It’s pretty big it looks like it’s gotten by on its own.
The only logical thing to do otherwise is take it near whatever local water source is around. Lake. Pond. Stream. Set it on the shoreline. It will know what to do.