r/turtle • u/KraymerBone • 10h ago

General Discussion Is he in trouble?

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Gallery image

Gallery image

Found him (assuming its a him) not moving in the middle of street. I nudged him gently with my foot and he moved a little bit, but didn't actually crawl away.

I moved him off the road and left him the grass, covered lightly with leaves. I also noticed his eye were closed. See images.

If he's still there when I go for my next walk can I/should I take him back with me and try to help him or just leave him?

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2

u/Fae_Sparrow 7h ago

They sometimes take a little break to rest, I wouldn't worry too much just yet. If he's still there tomorrow, then I'd perhaps call a wildlife centre in the area to ask for help.

Fair heads-up: that's a common snapping turtle, and he will NOT be happy to be picked up. Watch your fingers, their necks are long!

2

u/Fae_Sparrow 7h ago

There's also a chance (depending on where you are) that it's cold, making it lethargic. Or maybe its playing dead because it's scared. It appears to be very young, so most likely on its way to some fresh water source.

There could be a number of reasons it isn't moving though.

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u/CupsWillyDillyButter 2 Female Florida Red-Bellied Turtles 7h ago

Playing dead could actually be a possible answer because his head is drawn into his shell and that’s a clear sign they’re trying to be protective of themselves.

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u/KraymerBone 6h ago

Thanks for your responses!

We went for our second walk and it was gone, nowhere to be found. It's interesting because it was moving away from the water. It was actually pretty far from the lake. Maybe it was female going to lay eggs, although it seemed pretty young???

Hopefully it was just resting and was on its way after that. I'm just glad I was able to get it out of the street. We've been seeing a lot of snappers and painted turtles smooshed on the street (along with a ton of snakes too). its really sad 😢