Leave any turtle that you see outside alone. As soon as they are on their own, they instinctively know where they should go next. Relocating them will make them look for where they were going and make more risks.
Leave the turtle alone. Make sure it doesn’t get hurt if you have a lot of woods in your yard. It’s not a good idea to keep or even touch wild turtles, because they can carry salmonella, which can make you sick.
There is no need to move turtles because they are wild and should stay where they are.
This is different from many turtles, which need to live near water. Box turtles don’t need water and are often found far from it. You can see a turtle just like this one in your picture if you live in the Washington, DC area. Often in the woods and other places that aren’t too wet.
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What to do if You Find a Turtle in Your Yard?
Because there is food and other things box turtles need to live in the area, he’s likely where he should be.
The only thing you should do is move him away from roads where he could be hit by cars.
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Take it outside and see if it’s safe.
It is very important not to get scared when you find a turtle in your yard. You should not run. If you live near a body of water, it is likely that the turtle has just gone for a short walk. In the event that you find a turtle in or near your pond, you should read my article on what to feed pond turtles.
Find out what to do if you find a turtle in your yard by reading below.
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Don’t be scared.
The first thing you need to know is that turtles aren’t dangerous at all. Even a fly wouldn’t bother them. People will not be hurt by even the turtles that are more dangerous, like the musk or snapping turtle.
The only time this isn’t true is if they are provoked.
If you can tell that the turtle is a snapping turtle, you should read my post on what to feed a snapping turtle.
A very good chance that the turtle is more afraid of us than we are of him. You should still not put your hands near their mouth as a safety measure.
There is no reason to be afraid of the turtle that has come into your yard.
You can bet that it’s just going for a walk. If it gets out on its own, you won’t see it again. If it’s a female turtle and it’s around August, it could mean that the turtle has just given birth.
There are a lot of turtle eggs laid in August, but this is the most common time. In general, the female turtle looks for a wet place where it can dig into the ground and lay eggs and let them hatch. For this reason, they may have gone farther than usual to find the right land.
This is a beautiful thing that happens in the world. You wouldn’t want to miss this chance to see this beautiful stage in the life of a turtle.
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Take Care of the Eggs
After a female turtle digs down into the ground, it’s up to you to make sure the eggs are safe. It’s not rocket science and you can do it quickly.
A look at how to protect these eggs.
Some kind of fence could be put up around this area to keep other animals from getting in there.
- If you use pesticides in the yard, make sure you don’t do that.
- Take care not to step on that spot.
- If you put a lot of pressure on the shells of turtle eggs, they will break, so be careful!
- Make sure that the kids don’t break the eggs because they’re interested.
If you follow all of these steps, you might get to see the turtles hatch out of their eggs. Once they are born, they can usually move on to their natural habitat on their own after they have hatched.
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Talk to a vet or animal rescue group!
There might be something wrong with the turtle that you found in your yard. If you think it isn’t healthy, you should get in touch with a veterinarian or animal rescue center right away.
Try to help the turtle get better by yourself with the right help. The turtle should read my article on how to heal a turtle shell if its shell has been damaged, so you should read it.
Also, if you don’t want a female turtle to lay eggs in your yard, you can still call animal rescue. There are people who can move the female turtle to a place where it can lay its eggs.
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Do not throw them in a lake or river.
There are a lot of turtles that could get into your yard. Most of them would be pond turtles, though. You should, however, be very careful if you don’t know how to tell the species of a turtle.
They should not be thrown into a pond or a river.
This could kill them, because some turtles don’t swim, so this could be bad for them. Also, even if you put an aquatic turtle in a body of water, it can still be dangerous if it is not where they came from.
Before you get rid of the turtle, be very careful. In order to get rid of your turtle, you should call a vet. It’s also possible to call the animal shelter and ask them to take the turtle.
The only time this doesn’t apply is if you have a cat or dog that likes to kill small animals and rodents, like a rat or squirrel. It’s best to pick up the turtle and put it outside your house.
There is a good chance this turtle came from a body of water, so you should put it in that direction.
Conclusion
The Best Thing To Do Leave the turtle alone if you find one in your yard. Most turtles won’t stay in your yard for more than a day, and they’ll move on their own. There is no harm or trouble even if they stay to lay eggs.
So, it’s very important that you enjoy this process of nature and get involved by giving some space to it.
A turtle isn’t likely to get into your yard at all. Let things be as they are if they happen.