Adoptable Turtles

While pet turtles are not my thing, I occasionally come upon special circumstances and make an exception. Usually these are dumped pets that were found injured in the wild where they don’t belong, but not always. Read on to learn about current foster-turtles in need of a new home. If you would like to adopt a turtle you see here, please contact me, either via email at: info@turtlehavenct.org , or via my Contact Page. In general, I’m looking for adopters in Connecticut, possibly neighboring states if you’re not too far over the border.

A note about size: Size is given in inches and is Standard Carapace Length (often abbreviated SCL in turtle communities). It is the length of the shell from front to back, and does not include the head, legs, or tail, nor does it take into account the curvature of the shell. Typically, it is measured with calipers, or else just a measuring tape laid out flat next to the turtle and not curved around the shape of the shell. While not listed here, most turtles are about half as wide as they are long.

Tuck

Name	Tuck
Species	Red-Eared Slider
Age	Unknown, estimated 10 years
Size	7.5″
Sex	Male

Meet Tuck, a male red-eared slider with unique and lovely coloring. We don’t usually take in people’s pets, but this one was a unique situation that was hard to say no to. An elderly gentleman calling from a landline reported he had an injured snapping turtle that he wanted to help. We couldn’t confirm species with pictures, but the description was spot-on for a snapper. When we got there, we discovered a perfectly healthy red-eared slider living in a bathtub as a pet, and an old man with some kind of dementia going on who seemed to be a bit confused about the turtle and where it came from and indeed why we were there. Perhaps he did come upon a snapping turtle in need at some point in his life, but the bounds of time were a bit more loose and blended in his mind. He had someone with him who was taking care of him who was happy to surrender the turtle to us as she didn’t want to take care of the turtle and the human, and he wasn’t as able to take care of the turtle as well as he’d like to be. He bade a teary goodbye to the turtle, who he called his best friend, and asked us to find a loving home for him.

These turtles live 40-60 years and get up to 12” long, requiring huge amounts of space and water. Once you have the proper setup (we may be able to send him with a tank and some supplies), maintenance is actually pretty easy, but it’s the sticker shock of what they actually need upfront that deters most people. There is no such thing as a free pet. I am not charging an adoption fee for this guy, but whoever adopts him will have to prove that they have what he needs, which can cost hundreds of dollars. If you want detailed information on how to care for Tuck, check out the care sheets here, here, and here.

If you or someone you know want to adopt Tuck, send an email to info@turtlehavenct.org to apply.

Donna

Name	Donna
Species	Red-Eared Slider
Age	Unknown, estimated 20 years
Size	10″
Sex	Female

This red-eared slider turtle is somebody’s dumped pet who came into care after being hit by a car and sustaining injuries to her shell. As sliders are not a native species, it is illegal to release them into the wild, so once she heals, she’ll need a forever home that doesn’t involve the wilderness. Dumped pets can introduce diseases that native species aren’t immune to and wipe out entire populations. They out-compete our smaller natives for food, nesting sites, and basking areas. They become invasive and the official protocol is euthanasia, a seemingly drastic but necessary act to protect our struggling native turtle populations.

Officially, I ought to have killed her. Instead, I tended to her wounds in the hopes that once she was healed up, somebody who understands what a lifetime commitment is will want to adopt her. Now is that time. She is mostly healed, swimming perfectly, eating well, and very healthy. By the end of the summer, or even sooner, she’ll be ready for a new home.

Below are photos of her injuries at intake and her progress of healing, with her stabilized shell pieces covered in beeswax so she is watertight while her wounds heal and she can swim, eat, bask, and in general be less stressed in hospital. What would really reduce her stress, though, is finding a loving forever home. She’s a bit shy, since she’s been wronged by humans and been on her own for a while, but she will eventually warm up to you if you treat her with kindness and patience. She has an interesting asymmetrical plastron (bottom shell) toward the rear, which while technically a birth defect, does not negatively affect her health in any way; it simply adds character.

These turtles live 40-60 years and get up to 12” long, requiring huge amounts of space and water. Once you have the proper setup (we may be able to send her with some food and supplies, but you’ll be on your own for a tank and nesting box), maintenance is actually pretty easy, but it’s the sticker shock of what they actually need upfront that deters most people. There is no such thing as a free pet. I am not charging an adoption fee for this lady, but whoever adopts her will have to prove that they have what she needs, which can cost hundreds of dollars. If you want detailed information on how to care for Donna, check out the care sheets here, here, and here.

If you or someone you know want to adopt Donna, send an email to info@turtlehavenct.org to apply.