HELP IDENTIFY PLEASE

[LadyV]

So I have been calls about my lost Russian. (See other ad in Lost and Found) Someone called me from the la Posada Resort here...in the back they have a habitat for wild life and a turtle showed up today that they have not seen there before...it had sorta of flatish top shell that had a very slight upward scoop to it and orange stripes on the sides of it's head...it was in the water and he was afraid it would drown ....he said he took it out of the water and on the side where it cold go where it wanted to.....I told him to take it back and do the same thing.....any idea if this is a native or did someone dump it? It get pretty cold here!!

 

[Laura]

Sounds like a RES Red ear Slider... dumped..

 

[LadyV]

Oh man....Should I go back tomorrow and get it? It get very cold here, I could at least get pic and get a positive identification....then if that's not what it is, I could put it back where it came from

 

[Tracy Gould]

I have read that once they are take out of the wild u can not put them back, could u get him to take a picture and email it to u then u could id and if its a captive turtle then u could go get it.

 

[Scooter]

Sounds like a RES to me too.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think RES are native to Arizona, however, they are quite adaptable and will live there very well. He's a water turtle and will hibernate in the water. Don't worry about him. He probably doesn't belong there, but he won't die if you leave him there. Are there other turtles living in that area?

 

[LadyV]

No...no other turtles there....they said he he just "showed up' there

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Are you sure he'll be OK...water freezes here and gets very cold!! We are in Northern AZ

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, he'll dig down into the mud at the bottom of the pond and sleep until spring thaw.

If you want to rescue him, you'll either have to keep him or turn him in to a Rescue or the SPCA, as he doesn't belong in Arizona waters.