What kind of tortoise is living in my yard?

[Mewr428]

Hi everyone,
My name is Shelby. I have a new "pet" tortoise. He/She popped up in my backyard a little over a week ago and hasnt left. He/She likes to dig holes in my mulch. I thought mabe it was a gopher but it doesnt look like the pictures on google. Can anyone tell me what kind of tortoise this is? Also, what does he/she eat? I put some broccoli and carrots out in the yard and a bowel of water. I went to the petstore and got some tortoise food but I dont know if I should be feeding him/her. Any ideas? My backyard is fenced in, so Im guessing he dug a hole under my fence. I will attach a picture of him/her.

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[Tim/Robin]

I am no turtle expert, but you don't have a tortoise. It is some kind of turtle.

 

[Mewr428]

Oh okay, My friend told me it was a tortoise. At least I know its a turtle now. Thank you!

 

[african cake queen]

HI, ITS A SLIDER OF SOME SORT. MAYBE A YELLOW BELLIE? SOMEONE WILL BE AROUND TO SAY FOR SURE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A SLIDER. LINDY

 

[pdrobber]

It looks like a slider, an aquatic turtle. Where do you live? Does one of your neighbors have a pond? It needs a mostly aquatic freshwater environment.

 

[Mewr428]

Okay, thank you for the information. You guys are fast at replying!

 

[dmarcus]

Welcome to the forum, and it does look like a slider and like everyone before me I cant say what type. I would definitly see if any of your neighbors has a pond and is missing a turtle.

 

[Mewr428]

I live in Florida, so there is water everywhere. I am accross the street from water. How is it still alive if Its been in my backyard for over a week? It hasnt left so it hasnt been in water. I have a pool but its inclosed so i know its not going into the pool. Mabe I should fill a bin with water?

 

[SILVERSTAR]

get it to water becuz its not suppose to be jus out in the yard with no pond or creek.

 

[Mewr428]

It already has holes dug and everything though. im scared that if i move it, it wont have any place to go. Also, alot of turtles around here are illegal to touch. not that thats going to stop me, lol but should i just buy a kiddy pool and stick it in my backyard or is that not good enough?

 

[terryo]

This is the time of year that water turtles come out of their ponds looking for a place to nest. So maybe she is looking to lay eggs, if she is a female...I can't tell from the picture. Also she cannot eat out of the water as they have no saliva glands. She would need a land area and a very large pond to be happy.

 

[Mewr428]

So should I move her now since she might be trying to lay eggs? Will she be okay if I move her to a new place that has water?

 

[coreyc]

I think you should leave her there for a while see if she does lay eggs maybe put a shallow bowl of water next to her

 

[Mewr428]

okay. i have a few tupperware bowels out. im going to target now, so ill see if i can find a bin to fill with water. is hose water okay for them?

 

[SILVERSTAR]

THATS STRANGE HOW SHE ENDED UP THERE,ALMOST LIKE SUMONE DUMPED IT,IF THERS NO WATER SOURCE NEAR YOU THEN ID GUESS THAT IT NEEDS WATER A POOL WOULD DO FOR THE TIME BEING OR JUS A LARGER AQUARIUM TIL U FIGURE OUT WUT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE SORRY I DONT KNO MUCH MAYBE SUMONE ELSE CAN HELP DONT JUS LET IT GO THO UNLESS U FIND A POND.

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OR ANOTHER WATER SOURCE.

 

[Mewr428]

It is as if someone had it since it was a baby and then it got to big and they let it go. (we have a lot of the little little ones at petstores around here)

 

[terryo]

That is not a young turtle. If you have no ponds near where you live, then I would think that someone has a pond and she escaped. Maybe you could put some flyers around asking if someone lost her. It would be a shame to put her in a small tub, if she is used to having a pond to live in. If no one claims her, why don't you make a pond with some land area for her to roam around, and swim if she wants to.

 

[TebowHammer]

Hi there!

It looks to me like it could be either a yellow-bellied slider or a peninsula cooter (both turtles). It's definitely not a youngin'. Gonna be a few years old. I've got to juvenile Peninsulas that are about a year old each and they're only about 2 or 3 inches across.

That one's definitely larger.

 

[african cake queen]

HI , FORGOT, YOU ARE RIGHT COULD BE A COOTER, THEY LOOK SO, CLOSE. LINDY

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome, and the turtle!