How to Care for a Wild Baby Turtle

With urban areas increasing in size and encroaching on more land than ever before, it is becoming common to have direct interaction with local wildlife. It is normal and accepted to see bird's nests and rabbit burrows in the backyard. More recently, however, home owners are discovering wild turtle eggs in their yard. Because reptiles lay their eggs and leave them to hatch on their own, wild baby turtles require the care and assistance of humans to remain safe while maturing enough to survive in the city.

Things You'll Need

  • Terrarium
  • Warming light
  • Farm grown meal worms
  • Fresh green leafy vegetables
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up a safe habitat for the baby turtle in a terrarium. The terrarium should be set to a temperature of 75 degrees to keep the turtle warm, and should contain a small pool with a ramp to aid the turtle in getting out of the water.

    • 2

      Lift the turtle only when absolutely necessary. Baby turtle shells are soft and extremely fragile, so it is best to avoid lifting the turtle out completely; however, when it is necessary, always lift the turtle with two hands in the same fashion as you would hold a hamburger, with four fingers of each hand on the bottom of the shell to offer plenty of support.

    • 3

      Offer the turtle food once each day. Growing turtles require both fresh leafy vegetables and protein from worms. Never feed a turtle worms from the wild, because they tend to possess parasites, which can kill a wild baby turtle. When offering the turtle food, keep the food in the terrarium for a few hours and then remove any that remains to avoid spoilage.

    • 4

      Do not sell wild baby turtles, as it is illegal in the United States. If care of the turtle becomes too demanding, consider contacting wildlife control, who can take over the care of the turtle and then release it into the wild when it is mature enough.