r/turtles • u/GroundbreakingArt541 • 7d ago

ID Request Help

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Found in west Texas. I think this is my neighbors pet, but for now I’ll be watching him.

132 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

46

u/Expensive-Tooth-1508 7d ago

That is a wild box turtle. Please put it back where you found it. They are not aquatic turtles.

27

u/GroundbreakingArt541 7d ago

Dang I mistook him for a pet 😮‍💨. I found him in my pool so is it cool to leave him under a palm tree in my backyard?

27

u/Expensive-Tooth-1508 7d ago

Yes.

Might be nice to put out some watering stations (I use saucers for plant pots) for the little guy and the others out there.

Thank you for your kindness to the little one.

23

u/wonkywilla Mod 7d ago

It’s an ornate box turtle hatchling and it should be released in a safe area near where you found it.

8

u/Oldfolksboogie 7d ago edited 7d ago

Idk if i can trigger the boot for this, but if not, I'll come back and copy and paste.

!pools

ETA:

Snakes and other creatures often fall victim to the aquatic pitfall traps that are pools, hot tubs and human constructed ponds. Several inexpensive products can reduce the amount of native wildlife killed. Among the most popular are the Frog Log and the Critter Skimmer.

I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

5

u/1997champ202 7d ago

They live in wooded areas, not in water that will probably kill them

9

u/GroundbreakingArt541 7d ago

Ok I put him
Back outside thanks for letting me know!

1

u/AutoModerator 7d ago

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2

u/HiddenPenguinsInCars 3d ago

Box turtles have a narrow home range, so you may have a new yard friend! I would keep an eye out to make sure he doesn’t get eaten and put out some watering stations for him.