Saved from the road today....

[leobaby15]

....is it wrong to keep him? I think he/she is an ornate box turtle?

 

[wellington]

Yes it is wrong to keep them if they are native to your area. Put him back where you found him, but off the road. Let him/her go produce many more of their kind. Btw, it's said, if they are taken from the wild and get out, they will spend a life time trying to get back to their original wild home. How sad if it's true and you keep him. S/he will always want to go back to his home.

 

[wellington]

Btw, in some or most locations it is illegal to keep them.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I know he is very beautiful but he belongs where you got him from.
Please, please take him back where he came from.

 

[Gillian M]

That is such an adorable tort. So sorry you're supposed to return it where you got it.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, it is wrong to keep it. There are too few of them left in the wild to remove even one from the gene pool. Go back to where you found her and help her across the road in the direction she was going. She's looking for a good place to lay eggs.

 

[Nanchantress]

Where do you live? In my area, box turtles are not native and one found on the road is most likely someone's escaped pet. Especially if found in an urban area. I think
we cannot say conclusively that putting him back is the best course of action without knowing more information. If I found that turtle in my area, I would post signs and ask neighbors it they had a missing box turtle. If no answer and I had the means to provide a suitable him for it, I would. If not, I would contact a rescue group in my area.

 

[Yvonne G]

If I hadn't been sure the ornata is native to the area where leobaby lives I wouldn't have made the suggestion I did.

 

[Nanchantress]

oh sorry, you must have info not available to the public. I checked the profile page for location but didn't see it. Forgive me for my ignorance and apparently silly question.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Never silly

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I think, the OP is based in Kansas where the ornate box turtle is native, protected and the State Reptile, apparently.

 

[Nanchantress]

tired of the holier than thou response I sometimes see from some moderators here... Done with the forum.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Don't leave.
It's important to have all kinds of people with differing views and perspectives on here.
It has been suggested to me, by a couple of moderators, to try the block function on the ones you don't like and see if that works.
Don't know if it works, as I like to see what they say, so haven't tried it.
Many people leave the forum for similar reasons and the mods will band together and defend each other to the end.
As they should.
I nearly left a little while ago, but stuck it out and I'm glad i did, there's a lot of good people and the very best info on this forum and you can contribute to it.
Stay around, after a while, the ones you don't like will mostly ignore you, that's my experience.
Unless i say something like this.
Oh dear.
Anyway, the OP had posted something about Kansas in a previous post, i believe, so possibly that's what Yvonne meant, though I agree about the tone of the message. And this species is a native of there and protected.

 

[leobaby15]

I am in Kansas...didn't realize I couldn't keep her so she's back in the area I saved her from. Thanks for the concern and input

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I am in Kansas...didn't realize I couldn't keep her so she's back in the area I saved her from. Thanks for the concern and input

Thank you for that.
I believe it was the right thing to do

 

[Yvonne G]

tired of the holier than thou response I sometimes see from some moderators here... Done with the forum.

I don't know how I could have said it any differently. I'm sorry I offended you.

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

I don't know how I could have said it any differently. I'm sorry I offended you.

There no harm done Nanchantress now stick around. This forum has tons of information and and friendliest people here online.