Releasing pet turtles in the wild is starting to become a big problem of the increase in popularity of pet turtles. This usually happens when people don’t have enough information about turtles when they buy one. And in some cases, they can’t keep the turtle anymore and release it in the wild, but this is actually the worst thing that they can do for the turtle as well as the environment.
Pet turtles should never be released into the wild! Releasing a non-native turtle in the wild can be dangerous for the turtle and disrupt an entire ecosystem.
There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t release a pet turtle in the wild. To make things simpler I will divide the article into two sections, the first one about why this is bad for the turtle, and the second why it’s bad for the environment. And at the end, I will tell you what you can do with your turtle if you can’t keep it anymore.
How It Can Be Dangerous for a Pet Turtle to Be Released in the Wild
Most pet turtles have been born into captivity, this means that they never had to worry about food, predators, basking areas, or in some cases other turtles.
Food
Pet turtles don’t have to catch or search for their food, in most cases they will find food just “laying” around in the aquarium or terrarium and that’s it. Only in some cases, they will have to put in a little effort to catch a fish that swims in the aquarium.
Wild turtles will usually have to look around for a while to find food, and in most cases that food will be vegetation, not meat. Wild turtles will usually get to eat meat very rarely, and usually in very small portions. Most wild turtles get their protein from small insects, worms, snails, and on rare occasions fishes. But to get those proteins they will have to search, hunt, and occasionally chase the prey. Very rarely they will find a fish or an insect laying on the ground just waiting to be eaten.
So a turtle that is used to just get its food without any effort won’t adapt too well to this way of living, and it’s not because they aren’t trying, it’s because they’ve spent a lot of years in captivity where they didn’t get the chance to use their skills so they’ve lost them.
You might be thinking that turtles aren’t born with those hunting instincts, so why do wild baby turtles manage to survive, and why a pet turtle is unable to. Turtles are actually born with certain instincts like most animals are, including humans. But if those instincts aren’t used from the start they will slowly start to go away. And also baby turtles require less food. For example, a baby turtle can last an entire day with just a cricket, but the same amount of food will only be enough for half a day for an adult turtle. So basically a baby turtle has mere time at its disposal to learn everything that it needs to survive than a released pet turtle.
Predators
A pet turtle doesn’t have to worry about predators at all. Most pet turtles will occasionally get scared of humans that they’ve never met before or other pets like dogs or cats. You can tell that they are scared because they will hide in the aquarium and they will retract in their shells. But people and other pets aren’t really predators, all of them could hurt the turtle if they wanted but usually, that’s not the case so we can’t consider them real predators.
Pet turtles still maintain the instinct to defend themselves, you can sometimes see this when a turtle will try to bite the person that is handling it, or when they hide in their shells.
But a pet turtle doesn’t have to defend against snakes, raccoons, crows, eagles, alligators, etc. Most of the threats that they are defending against are actually harmless.
A wild turtle will have to always be on alert because a predator can come at any moment and attack them, and those predators won’t leave them alone just because the turtle tried to bite them. When a predator attacks they do this because they want to eat the turtle, so a turtle has to at least injure the predator so it will back off or hide in the shell and endure the attack until the predator gives up on the turtle. None of those options are pleasant, but there are no other ways to get out of a situation like this.
Wild turtles also know how to properly hide so that predators don’t find them. Turtles can get good at hiding only if they spend a lot of time in the wilderness hiding from predators and testing different spots.
A turtle that never had to deal with a proper predator has almost no chance to survive an attack. And since they don’t know the area and they don’t have any experience at hiding from predators, hiding also isn’t the best option.
If you want to know more about turtle predators you should read this article: What are the Predators of Turtles?
Basking
Turtles need to bask to maintain good health. In captivity, turtles have a basking area that is equipped with a UV light and a heat lamp, that make sure that the turtle will get the exact amount of heat their need and a lot of UV light. All that a turtle needs to do in order to get all the required heat and UV is to walk or swim a very short distance and they have the perfect spot. This is not very challenging for them.
On the other hand, wild turtles don’t have it that easy. Good basking spots are not that easy to find in the wild, a turtle has to search for a while to find a spot that is somewhat good. Most wild turtles will never find a spot that is as good as the one that pet turtles have at their disposal. Another problem with the basking spots in the wild is that they are usually overcrowded and turtles will occasionally fight in order to get a place. When there are no viable basking spots in the area a lot of turtles will stack to ensure that they get the required heat and UV light.
There is one advantage that basking spots in the wild have over a man-made basking area, and that is the UV light. Even if the UV light bulbs offer enough UV light to ensure that the turtle is healthy, nothing beats the UV light that the sun offers.
Even if a turtle can survive longer without basking than it could survive without food, it’s still essential for their health. And for a pet turtle that didn’t have to do anything difficult to find a basking spot, having to search for one that won’t be as good as the one they had while in captivity will be very hard. And as a result, their health will start to slowly deteriorate.
In this section, I mentioned turtle stacking, if you don’t know what that is, or you want to know why turtles do it you should check out this article: Why do Turtles Stack?
And if you want to know how to properly heat a basking area check out this article: Guide for Lighting and Heating a Turtle Tank and Basking Area
Other Turtles
A lot of pet turtles don’t have to interact with other turtles at all, and this can be a problem when they are released in the wild.
Turtles aren’t social animals by any means, most of them interact with each other just to reproduce and to fight over food, basking spots, and reproduction partners. But they still interact and as they interact more and more over time they will get better at this and they will know how to intimidate the opponent so they don’t have to fight and how to attract another turtle to mate. Those social skills are very important for a turtle even if they use them very rarely.
An adult pet turtle will have very few chances to attract another turtle when they want to mate, and they will have no experience in fighting other turtles.
If a pet turtle shared the aquarium or terrarium with another turtle, it will be a little better at socializing with other turtles than a turtle that grew up alone, but they will still not be as good at it as a wild turtle would be.
How a Pet Turtle Can Disrupt the Ecosystem
If a pet turtle is lucky enough to survive in the wild it can cause a lot of harm to the ecosystem. They can do this in a multitude of ways, here are some examples:
Bacteria and Diseases
Pet turtles can carry bacteria that is harmless to them but which is dangerous for other species. If the turtle manages to spread that bacteria to just a couple of animals, then the whole area can get infected with it and disease will start affecting the animals.
Disrupting the Food Chain
A turtle will eat a lot of small bugs and insects that they will find in the wild. If they eat enough of those small insects they might end up disrupting the food chain because some species will start to go hungry and will start to look for something else to eat which they would normally stay away from because it’s too dangerous. There are a lot of ways this can go bad and I am sure that you can also imagine a lot of those ways right now.
Overpopulation
If multiple turtles are released in the wild and they manage to survive long enough to reproduce then this means that the baby turtles will also be able to survive. So basically there is a new species living in that ecosystem, and this can lead to overpopulation, which can lead to fights for food between species and many other bad things.
Destroying the balance
Every ecosystem has it’s balance, some animals eat other animals, and this way they keep their population under control. Some animals eat only plants while others eat only meat. Some species collaborate with each other to ensure that they survive.
Every ecosystem has its balance that was formed after thousands of years during which there were a lot of species, but only a few select remained. Taking out one of them can destroy the entire balance of the ecosystem. And adding a new one can be just as dangerous, if not even more. In general, turtles are able to adapt to a huge variety of conditions, but to do so they will have to eat the food that was usually eaten by other animals and take up space that other animals used. Those things can hurt other animal species and lead to their extinction in that zone.
So releasing a pet turtle in the wild is not only bad for the turtle, but also for the ecosystem.
Releasing a Turtle That Has Shortly Lived in Captivity
If you find an injured turtle in the wild and you keep it in captivity for a couple of months until it’s healed then you can release it back in the wild. Since they’ve spent most of their lives in the wild and they had to spend a couple of months in captivity to heal, it won’t be any problem for them to resume their normal life in the wild.
Just be careful if you want to take care of an injured wild turtle, they won’t adapt to captivity that well, even if it’s for a short period of time.
Just remember to go with them to the vet before taking care of them and releasing them in the wild.
What “The Wild” Actually Means
Throughout the entire article I’ve mentioned the wild, let’s talk a little about what the wild actually means.
The wild means a place where turtles naturally leave, where they can find enough food, water, heat, light, and protection.
There have been many sightings of turtles in cities and neighborhoods, those turtles are usually pet turtles that have been released in a place near the city or neighborhood, a forest for example where they were unable to find enough water or food so they started wandering around to find a better place and they ended up in a city.
A city could also be considered a wild place, but not the kind of wild place where a turtle would naturally live, or where they could survive.
How to Properly Get Rid of a Pet Turtle
After some time turtles can become a burden for some people who don’t have the time or money to take care of them. Regardless of the reason you should never release your turtle in the wild, there are more humane and better ways to deal with things.
Return Them to the Place You Bought Them
Contact the place from which you bought your turtle and ask them about the return policy, some places will take the turtle back after short periods of time, or at least they will tell you about a place where you can take your turtle.
Sell your turtle
Place an ad online and sell your turtle to somebody who is willing to take care of it. It’s a good idea to also sell the equipment or at least some of it to that person. This way they will have everything they need to take care of the turtle and the turtle will have the proper conditions.
Talk to a Zoo
Some zoos will gladly accept donations. And there will be experts that know how to properly take care of your turtle, so you don’t have to worry about its well-being. Plus you could always go and visit.
Ask a Vet
Another option is to ask a vet, some of them know of certain places that will be willing to take care of a turtle. Or at least they will give you some tips on where to search.
Organizations
There are organizations out there that are taking care of turtles, but their main focus is the turtles in the wild and not pet turtles. They will help you if you have problems with your pet turtle but they aren’t a place where you can give your turtle. If they were to accept all turtles they wouldn’t be able to do anything else. I know that in some special cases they will help you to get rid of your turtle, but in general, that is not what they do, so I don’t think that an organization that helps turtles is the place to go if you want to give your turtle away.
Conclusion
So pet turtles aren’t usually able to survive in the wild, and if they manage to survive they can do more harm than good for the ecosystem.
If you want to get rid of your turtle you should do it in a proper way and not release it in a random place in the wild.
If you have any questions about how pet turtles survive in the wild or how to properly get rid of your turtle let me know in the comments and I will answer them as soon as possible.
And if you are unable to find a place or a person to give your turtle away leave a comment and me and my colleagues from turtleowner.com will do our best to help you find a new home for your turtle.
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Hi there, I have two turtles a yellow belly slider and and red ear slider and they’ve gotten massive. I can no longer care for them and don’t know what to do. Pls help
Hello Alyssa, I am sorry you are having a hard time finding a new home for your turtles. I will gladly help you find a place for them. But to do that I will need a little information first. Could you please tell me the general area where you live, for example the state where you live, this will help me to find a place that is in your area where you can take your turtles, places like organizations, rescue groups, a zoo, and similar places. And some basic information about the turtles will also be great, size and age, if you know it, would be great.
I have an red ear slider that has gotten to much to manage he is about 4yrs old and I need to find a place in my area that would take him . Please help
Hello Lesley, I will gladly help you, but in order to do that I will need a little information. Can you please send me an email at contactturtleowner@gmail.com, with your general location, nothing too specific but I need to know at least the state where you are so I can point you to the local organizations that can help you.
Your article is very detailed and thank you, are turtles including animals that have a strong immune system?
Hello, I am glad you find the article useful. Regarding your question, I personally think that turtles have an average immunity system. This means that it’s nothing very special, but if it’s working properly it can do a perfect job, thus making it a strong one. But one thing to take into consideration when talking about the immunity system is the environment to which it’s used to. The immunity system of a pet turtle is very strong in an environment that is used to, but if you take that turtle to a new environment , a lake for example, the system won’t be used to the bacteria in that area and won’t be able to do a good job. The same thing can happen if you move a turtle from any environment to another, the more different the new environment is, the weaker the immune system it will be.
Hi,
I am wondering if “pet turtles” are able to survive in outdoor ponds. I have a small koi pond that frogs occasionally come to (4’w x10’l x4’d). Could pet turtles survive here or should I just surrender them to a sanctuary ? I don’t have any; just asking.
Theoretically they should be ok. But there are a lot of factors that come into play. But as long as they have access to food, they should be fine.
I have a box turtle that was in the wild. I now have her in a cage for maybe 5 years. Will she servive if I let her go now?
5 years is quite a long time, so the box turtle might have a hard time readjusting to the wild. I think it would be better to give it to somebody else, or to contact an organization that specializes in turtles. Let me know if you need an help.
I have 2 yellow belly turtles I can no longer able to keep. They are about 7 inches and I am located in 33***. Please help.
Send me an email with a few pictures and I will help you find a new home for your turtles.
Hi Cameron,
We live in Colorado and have 2 red eared sliders, one male, one female. We’ve had them for 16 years and are hoping we can find a home for them. They were fairly large when we got them so we suspect they are around 20 years old. We are willing to drive them anywhere for a good home. We can also pay a rehoming fee if there is one. Can you help us? Thank you.
Gladly, just send me an email with a few pictures.
Thankyou for sharing this information with me.
Hi, I have had my 3 red eared sliders ( 2 male and 1 female) for 28 years. In the last couple of years they have started fighting. I tried adding a 2nd tank inside. But no matter who I put together they still fight. They are currently outside in a 350 gallon rubber maid tank and still fighting. I don’t have room for 3 tanks. I feel I’m not giving them the life they deserve anymore so I would like to find them new homes where they can have better lives. I just moved to San Antonio TX. If you could help me I would really appreciate it. Thank you.
Send me an email with a couple pictures of your turtles and I will gladly help you find a new home for them.
Hello! Thanks for the insightful article.
I have had a red eared slider for about 13 years now and I am unable to continue taking care of it. I wish to find it a great new home rather than releasing it. Can you help me? I am located in Bayside, Queens, New York.
Sure Oscar, just send me an email with a few pictures of your turtle and I will help you out.
Hi Cameron;
My son took in my mother in law’s 21 year old red ear slider; we got him everything we can think of he would need, I can’t stand seeing him on the tank and was going to take him to a pound when I read your article it made me change my mind.
Could you help us relocate him? We’re in the San Fernando valley in Southern California
Thanks in advance
Sure Marga, I know a few organizations in your area that could help you out. I will send you an email.
Hello, I live in the state of Massachusetts, in the city of Braintree. I have a red belly slider. We got her when she was very little, the size of the middle of a palm. I do not know for sure how old she is but we have had her for close to 6byears now. We have been searching for a place we can donate her to but so far no luck. Your help would be greatly appreciated since we want to make sure she ends up where she will be well taken care of!
Send me an email with a few pictures and I will gladly help you find a new home for your turtles.
Hi! Looking for help. I’m a school teacher and one of my kids brought in a baby turtle today. He found it on the track and it is about the size of a quarter. He didn’t bring it directly to me so it’s been away for 5-6 hours now. Looking to find out
1. Is it best to put the turtle back where the student found it?
2. If not, what is the most important things to do to care for the turtle. We haven’t been able to find it’s type yet.
3. How do I find qualified animal care for it? If it is going to stay in captivity I want to take it to a vet or course, but many vets don’t care for turtles and even fewer will have experience with a North Carolina native turtle
Thank you for your concern for the baby turtle that one of your students found. Caring for a baby turtle requires special attention, and your willingness to help is commendable. Here are some steps to consider:
Determining the Type of Turtle:
First, try to identify the species of the turtle. If you can’t identify it, you can take clear pictures and check online resources or consult local wildlife experts or organizations. This will help you understand its specific needs and whether it’s a native species.
Returning to the Wild:
If the turtle is a native species and appears healthy, it’s usually best to release it back where it was found. Turtles often leave their nests and head towards water shortly after hatching.
Release it in a safe, natural habitat away from busy roads or areas with heavy foot traffic.
Make sure it’s placed in a location with access to water if it’s a water turtle.
Caring for the Turtle:
If the turtle appears injured or is a non-native species, you may consider keeping it temporarily while seeking help.
Provide a small container with shallow water and a safe basking area (a clean, flat rock or a platform). Ensure the water is dechlorinated (you can use dechlorination drops).
Offer a diet appropriate for its species. Baby turtles often eat a variety of aquatic invertebrates and small aquatic plants. You can try offering finely chopped, moistened turtle pellets and small pieces of live or frozen food.
Keep the environment clean by changing the water regularly.
Ensure access to a heat source to maintain a proper temperature for the turtle’s metabolism.
Finding Qualified Care:
If you decide to keep the turtle temporarily and it appears injured or ill, try to find a local wildlife rehabilitation center or a vet with expertise in reptiles.
Contact your state’s wildlife agency or a local wildlife organization for guidance on finding the right care.
Remember that keeping a wild turtle in captivity, even temporarily, can be challenging, and it’s generally best to return it to the wild if it’s a native species in good health. If you’re uncertain about the type of turtle or its condition, seeking advice from local experts is important to ensure the turtle’s well-being and compliance with wildlife regulations in North Carolina.
My husband found a red eared slider four months ago a baby hatchling his brother was ran over by a car trying to make their way to our community pond. We was going to let him get a little bit bigger so he could survive and release him back out to the pond. I was just wondering if it’s safe for him to be released will he know how to survive or have we kept him too long.
Releasing a red-eared slider hatchling into the wild, even into its natural habitat, can be a complex decision and should be carefully considered. Here are some important factors to think about:
Size and Age: Red-eared sliders are susceptible to predators when they are young and small. To increase the chances of survival, it’s ideal to release them when they are larger, typically around 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) in shell length.
Natural Behavior: Turtles need to develop certain behaviors and skills for survival in the wild, such as finding food, recognizing predators, and seeking shelter. Hatchlings that have been raised in captivity may lack some of these natural instincts.
Disease Risk: Turtles kept in captivity can sometimes carry diseases that could be harmful to wild populations. Releasing a captive turtle can pose a risk to the local ecosystem.
Local Regulations: Check local and state regulations before releasing a turtle into the wild. In some places, it may be illegal to release non-native turtles or even native turtles without a permit.
Environmental Impact: Consider the potential impact of introducing a non-native species into a local ecosystem. In some cases, it can disrupt native wildlife.
Given that your red-eared slider hatchling is now four months old, it’s still quite small and might be at risk in a pond with larger turtles or other potential predators. If you decide to release it, you should consider:
Ensuring it has access to a safe and suitable environment with hiding places, appropriate water quality, and a variety of aquatic plants and insects.
Monitoring its behavior and health after release.
Having a contingency plan in case it struggles to adapt to the wild, such as being prepared to take it back into captivity if necessary.
If you have concerns or doubts about releasing the turtle, you may want to consider keeping it in a suitable habitat, such as a well-maintained and safe aquarium or outdoor enclosure, where you can continue to care for it and provide a fulfilling and safe life. This decision should be based on the best interests of the turtle and the local environment.
I found a tiny turtle in my back yard a yr ago and is now the size of my hand. Can’t take care of it anymore b/t my neighbor and I, She wants to release it I don’t. Told her it has never even seen other turtles and has been hand fed. Has trusted humans now for a yr. Very mad at my neighbor and she said she will do what ever because she has been taking care of it more than me. The turtle will not survive an hour if released which I know. What should I do?
It’s important to consider the well-being of the turtle in this situation. Releasing a hand-raised turtle that has become accustomed to human care and feeding can indeed be dangerous for the turtle. It may not have the necessary skills to find food, escape predators, or adapt to a new environment.
Here are some steps to consider:
Discuss with Your Neighbor: Try to have a calm and respectful conversation with your neighbor about the welfare of the turtle. Share your concerns and explain why you believe releasing it would not be in the turtle’s best interest.
Find a Suitable Home: If you and your neighbor can agree that releasing the turtle is not the best option, you can explore other alternatives. Look for a local animal rescue or wildlife rehabilitation center that might be willing to take in the turtle and provide it with the care it needs.
Consider Adoption: Another possibility is to find a responsible and knowledgeable individual who can adopt the turtle and provide it with proper care in a captive environment. There may be local reptile enthusiasts or rescue organizations that can help with this.
Education: Emphasize the importance of responsible pet ownership and the potential consequences of releasing a captive animal into the wild without the necessary skills to survive.
Releasing a hand-raised turtle into the wild can indeed put the turtle at risk, and it’s important to find a solution that prioritizes the turtle’s welfare. By discussing the situation with your neighbor and exploring alternative options, you can hopefully come to a resolution that ensures the best outcome for the turtle.