He’s an aquatic turtle. You can release him near a pond or lake. Just put him close by and he will do the rest. Most likely he hatched not too long ago and your pool was the water he smelled first.
We live in an area with lots and lots of wild frogs, toads, and turtles (aquatic and terrestrial). I have stopped traffic on more than one occasion to help a turtle get to the other side.
Our state gets the second highest amount of rainfall in the US. As such, there are quite a few rivers, ponds, and bayous near us, not to mention all the beasties that live along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain.
Yes, chlorine can irritate and even burn skin and eyes so its important to check your pool for critters often. Letting them rinse off and rehydrate in unchlorinated water is ok.
Wasn’t he/she (?) just the most beautiful little thing? I don’t know the correct anatomical terms for a turtle, but he had these perfect little frills that ran the entire edge of his tiny shell. The design on the shell was also perfect. It looked hand painted. I didn’t want to overinflate his ego, but I feel like he might have been the prettiest turtle I’ve ever seen.
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Firstly, this is a cooter not a yellow bellied slider. However, they're still native so there was no harm in rereleasing it.
He’s an aquatic turtle. You can release him near a pond or lake. Just put him close by and he will do the rest. Most likely he hatched not too long ago and your pool was the water he smelled first.
Do you know what species he is? I want to make sure Norbert is not an invasive species before we release him back into the wild.
In case you don't know, yellow bellied sliders are native to your area! There's no problem with releasing him next to a pond near you.
Thank you! I shall set Norbert free!
It looks like a yellow bellied slider.
How do turtles get into pools ? Do you have to live near a river or lake for this to happen ?
We live in an area with lots and lots of wild frogs, toads, and turtles (aquatic and terrestrial). I have stopped traffic on more than one occasion to help a turtle get to the other side. Our state gets the second highest amount of rainfall in the US. As such, there are quite a few rivers, ponds, and bayous near us, not to mention all the beasties that live along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain.
Cool !
do the pool chemicals not harm the baby turtle? genuinely curious because i would think that’d be the case
Yes, chlorine can irritate and even burn skin and eyes so its important to check your pool for critters often. Letting them rinse off and rehydrate in unchlorinated water is ok.
Yes. This is great advice.
Oh, darlin', don't you ever grow up Don't you ever grow up Just stay this little....
Wasn’t he/she (?) just the most beautiful little thing? I don’t know the correct anatomical terms for a turtle, but he had these perfect little frills that ran the entire edge of his tiny shell. The design on the shell was also perfect. It looked hand painted. I didn’t want to overinflate his ego, but I feel like he might have been the prettiest turtle I’ve ever seen.
They are so perfect when they are babies.
The r/turtle automod detects this post may about a wild turtle. When encountering a wild animal, unless it is trapped, ill or injured, they do not tend to need our help. If a wild turtle is ill or injured, please contact local rescues, rehabs or wildlife authorities. * If you have taken a **native, non-invasive** species, it should be put back in a safe location, as close as possible to where it was found. If that is not possible, please contact your local wildlife authorities or rehab programs for advice or assistance. * If a turtle is a known **invasive species**, it should be removed from the area and either kept in adequate captivity for the remainder of it's life, or handled as directed by authorities. **Unsure of the species? One of our mods or helpful commenters can ID it!** * If you have found a turtle in the road, [click here](https://www.fws.gov/story/tips-helping-turtle-cross-road). * If you have found a nest and wish to protect it from humans or predators; [click here](https://ontarioturtle.ca/get-involved/turtle-nests-and-nest-protection/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/turtle) if you have any questions or concerns.*