Skip to content
Turtle Haven

Turtle Haven

Turtle Rehabilitation in Connecticut

  • About
    • Who we are
  • Posts
  • Contact
  • How You Can Help
  • I found a turtle! NOW WHAT?!
  • Educational Programs
  • Adoptions & Pets
  • In the News

Tag: softshell turtles

Uncategorized

Turtle Trifecta Day

August 21, 2023 bookwormturtle

What do a musk turtle, a spiny softshell turtle, and a western painted turtle have in common? All three were helped out on the same day thanks to a caring family calling a rehabber. On a lovely late summer day, I received a call from the mom in a family that had gone for a… Continue reading Turtle Trifecta Day

Tagged musk turtles, painted turtles, pets, softshell turtles, turtle rehab, turtles, wild turtles1 Comment
Snapping turtles are known for hunting with their formidable “snap”, and for being nature’s clean-up crew since they eat carrion, but they are indeed omnivores and eat a lot more vegetation than people think.  A fellow turtle lover sent me this video capturing a snapper going after some greens. “Maggots at Midnight” — The Magic Treehouse books take a very weird turn, or, just another day in the life of a rehabber?  You decide. $20 can save an endangered species from dying in your backyard.  If you have an in-ground pool, or even stairs that are open leading up to a pool deck of an above-ground pool, you need a wildlife rescue ramp.  These allow any small animal that falls in a chance to escape drowning. This is who those bait boxes are killing.  This old man, a ~20-pound snapping turtle, died needlessly with rodenticide poison and a handful of other opportunistic infections taking hold in a weakened animal.  He died slowly, painfully, and coughing up blood in the arms of one of our rehabbers.  He didn’t have a single injury, nothing visible to explain his symptoms of lethargy, dehydration, and bleeding from the mouth.  He’d been motionless for days before a rehabber was called, and by then it was too late.  There’s no telling if we would have actually been able to save him if we had gotten to him sooner, but he’d have had a better chance.  Still, Jolene, our snapping turtle queen over here at Turtle Haven, did her best to provide care and comfort to a dying animal, and when he passed, we decided he needed to be tested to confirm our suspicions.  Two different anti-coagulant rodenticides were detected in this snapping turtle.  While not the definitive cause of death with so many other infections raging, it stands to reason that the poison started it all.  Snapping turtles are incredibly hardy, and very rarely have they come into our rehab with infections compared to other species. Thanks to Cindy & Richie for the donations from our Amazon wishlist!  We always appreciate the generosity of our supporters and turtle finders. This is why it’s important to never leave an injured turtle on the side of the road, even if it looks like a goner. Not only do they pass in less pain/more comfort in rehab, but we can check for eggs to harvest/incubate, possibly saving them to hatch/release where mama turtle was going to lay them.
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Turtle Haven
    • Join 32 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Turtle Haven
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar

Loading Comments...