HELP NEEDED IMMEDIATELY! Rescued turtle!

Okay so I was looking out into my parents' backyard and I see a massive turtle making a break for the bamboo. I was admiring how massive he is and was going to go out to look at him. My mother said "that thing looks like the creature from the Black Lagoon", because apparently he has stuff stuck to him and looks nasty and ahs something stuck to his foot. Now I go from curious to concerned. I go out to get him, and good LORD, I swear he has some sort of TAR caked onto him. This is no mud or sludge I've never seen; it's this disgusting, thick black GUNK that apparently was also there a few weeks ago when my mother saw him. I get the hose and try to rinse it off for him, but water won't do. I try dawn soap (but no scrub brush or sponge) and I got off the extra accumulated stuff by scraping it off with my fingers, but unfortunately I couldn't get further than that. It took me 10 minutes to scrub the stuff off my hands. I have him in a bucket in my room so I could come here and ask what to do. If you give me a second, a picture is on its way.

I have no clue what kind of turtle it is, but maybe some sort of snapping turtle? He has yet to retreat into his shell and instead keeps stretching his neck out. The only snapping turtle I'm familiar with is an alligator snapping turtle (which he is not) so I don't know. Sludge covers up his pattern.

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Whatever this stuff is, it's definitely not natural. Even if I take a sponge / scrub brush to his shell, what about his skin?

Dawn is the safe to use so your on the right track. It might take several soaks and good scrubbings to get it off but your right a pic would help.

Pics are up now, I can take more if needed. So I should let him soak in soapy water? I was afraid of letting him sit in it because I was worried about him ingesting it.

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Pics are up now, I can take more if needed. So I should let him soak in soapy water? I was afraid of letting him sit in it because I was worried about him ingesting it.

That is not good.... I hope that somebody did not do that to it intentionally, although I fear they likely did. Is a vet an option? Or what about a nature rescue in your area, maybe they have something to use? Sorry I am of no real help, I hope you figure it out and it makes it!


Or by chance was there any road construction in your area recently?

Leave him soaking in the warm Dawn dish washing soap for at least 30 minutes and put enough so its soapy in there. Not sure what he got into but it looks like he had tar poured on him.

Oh, make sure you check back every 10min or so because warm water + dawn will start to remove it and whatever it is will then leech into the water, you will probably want to do several water changes through this process. The Dawn is safe, Dr. Scott Stahl recommends it whenever there is a problem that requires soaking + soap.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Leave him soaking in the warm Dawn dish washing soap for at least 30 minutes and put enough so its soapy in there. Not sure what he got into but it looks like he had tar poured on him.

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Thats why I was wondering if there was any road construction in the area because they tar over the layers of asphalt, maybe it got caught in the road when they were doing that.

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Is this okay? Too much? It's not covering the top of his shell but I wanted to make sure he could easily have his head up. He's not overly pleased but he stopped devoting all of his energy to climbing out.

Be gentle with the scrubbing, if it was hot tar he is likely burned and I have no idea what kind of damage might be under it. If you know a good exotic vet, it wouldnt be a bad idea to take him in.

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Originally Posted by eatgoodfood

Thats why I was wondering if there was any road construction in the area because they tar over the layers of asphalt, maybe it got caught in the road when they were doing that.

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Actually, now that you just said that, I just remember noticing that the church parking lot behind my house got newly paved. My yard's back corner has a hole in it leading to that area; he could have easily wandered in from there. I didn;t think that was a few weeks ago though, but maybe that's just when I noticed it.. other than that, can't think of anything.

Yeah that is good, but id hang out rather close so he doesnt end up flipping himself.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Be gentle with the scrubbing, if it was hot tar he is likely burned and I have no idea what kind of damage might be under it. If you know a good exotic vet, it wouldnt be a bad idea to take him in.

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Unfortunately, I don't know of any exotic vets in my area. :/ I'm in South MS, and the extend of the local "exotic" vet is basic stuff for hamsters, rabbits, and maybe some bird. You bring a reptile in and it's like "um.."
At least with snakes... Maybe they have more turtle knowledge. I can always call and ask, also there are several wildlife rescue center and reserves around.

Any chance that the tar ran off into a water source around you guys? Tar is very sticky at first and I'd expect all kinds of junk to be stuck on him if it was tar. It looks more like oil or runoff tar.

I have him sitting right beside me. Thankfully he's big enough that any time he flips over he just stretches his neck out and turns himself off the sides of the bucket

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Any chance that the tar ran off into a water source around you guys? Tar is very sticky at first and I'd expect all kinds of junk to be stuck on him if it was tar. It looks more like oil or runoff tar.

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No, we have no water sources right around where I'm at. We have a small man-made pond in our backyard, but the water's clean and we have a pump for it and check it regularly.

Well, we do have a water source, a bay/bayou set up, but it's far down the road from the church parkinglot.

What does opening/closing of the mouth at random intervals and deep breaths mean? The little pouch on the bottom of his throat is bowing in and out. Forgive me if this is normal, I literally have zero experience with turtles / tortoises. He's not consistently taking deep breaths, just nnow and then. Should I be concerned?

Edit: maybe he just got soap in his mouth?

Its hard to tell without a video but that sounds like normal turtle breathing.

Turtles typically breath through their noses so if his nostrils are clogged, you may be seeing him take air in through his mouth. Or he could have soap in his mouth like you said.

If you feel up to it, you can take a tooth brush to his shell. I used to use old tooth brushes to get algae off my turtles' shells.

And I'm pretty sure that is not a snapper.

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My progress after one scrub. He's soaking again now in new water. He DESTROYED a brillo pad into shreds.

I also worked my fingers over his feet and got some sludge from between his toes.

Is he a box turtle?

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Originally Posted by Pyrate81

Turtles typically breath through their noses so if his nostrils are clogged, you may be seeing him take air in through his mouth. Or he could have soap in his mouth like you said.

If you feel up to it, you can take a tooth brush to his shell. I used to use old tooth brushes to get algae off my turtles' shells.

And I'm pretty sure that is not a snapper.

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Okay, I'll take a toothbrush to him after this next thirty minutes is up. I just wanted to get the thickest layer off. At least now he actually looks like a turtle

If you don't take him to a rescue, Otilith informed me there is a turtle specialist in Saucier named Askew. Not sure how close that is to you.

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Originally Posted by Pyrate81

If you don't take him to a rescue, Otilith informed me there is a turtle specialist in Saucier named Askew. Not sure how close that is to you.

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Not too far actually! I'll try to call now

The luck. He's out for continuing education and won't be back until Friday afternoon. The lady gave me the number to a wildlife rescue though, should I need it

At least you have the wildlife rescue. They SHOULD be able to at lease give advice.

Called and got in touch with someone for wildlife care; I'm on the right track. She said to use dawn directly on him and don't bother with the soaks; use the dawn, scrub him with the tooth brush, put him in really warm water, and just keep repeating the process.

Well, he destroyed that toothbrush in no-time flat. I'm concerned because the lady said I may not be able to get it done in one day; how should I house him should I need to keep him overnight? I have 15qt tubs, a medium-sized wooden enclosure that I can put a heat lamp over, the tub I can put on some unused heat tape but that's near my snakes and I don't know if that's safe or not, I have a 45 gallon tank with a heat pad stuck to it stored outside that I'd have to bring in and hose out, etc.

Here's another progress picture:

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Am I right, is he a box turtle?

Oh, and I Googled "how to remove tar", and this was the best I got, for human skin:
http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tar-From-Skin

The only animal options I could find was for dog fur. When I tried to put "turtle" in the search, I just got hit for turtle wax.

Are any of these safe? Obviously not the gasoline or whatever, but the ice? I'd be afraid of doing that due to the cold-blooded nature.. but there are some more ideas anyway.

Oh poor baby. I'd venture to say from the patterning that yes, he does look like a box turtle. I have little to no experience with turtles though other than my friend's box turtle.

I'm glad it's coming off his shell, I'm more concerned about his skin though. I think your wooden enclusure is the best bet for him, from the sounds of it. Have you put anything in his belly yet, or found out if he's even interested in food? He deserves a nice salad after what he's been through. Pretty little baby.

Definitely a box turtle. Ornate, I think. Thank you for helping the poor guy out!

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Originally Posted by DestinyLynette

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My progress after one scrub. He's soaking again now in new water. He DESTROYED a brillo pad into shreds.

I also worked my fingers over his feet and got some sludge from between his toes.

Is he a box turtle?

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Looks like your making some progress. Yes that is a box turtle. Good job and good luck.

He looks like a boxie to me.

You can use either the tub, wooden enclosure, or the 45gal tank. I'd recommend using the heat lamp for him and no substrate. Perhaps add substrate if you can get him dry enough. He's gonna make some noise moving around though.

I know water turtles shed skin and shell so I would assume box turtles do the same as well but I wouldn't quote me on that(hopefully someone can chime in on that). Getting the majority of it off would be priority. And unfortunately getting it all off in one shot is probably not feasible. I would definitely get him set up in an enclosure so he can rest and De-stress. Offer some lettuce and veggies(carrots, radishes, peppers, onions may be bad) if you have some. If you have dandelions or sunflowers in the back yard, give him some of those.

He's currently set up in the wooden enclosure with a towel with paper towels on top and a pan of water. My mom suggested cat-food since he apparently robs the bowl in the backyard from time to time, but I'm pretty sure just because he DOES eat it, doesn't mean he SHOULD. Currently perusing our fridge to get some healthy noms for him. I've decided to call him Icarus, or Icky for short ;)

He now has a small bowl of torn kale and chopped baby carrots. We had some red onions, green onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers too, but I don't know what's okay for him. Also, some corn in the freeze I think, some mushy blueberries, etc.

Sounds good. :gj::gj:

Not sure about the onions and tomatoes. Kale and carrots are definitely good though. He'll eat what he likes.

Use fruits sparingly. They are a good treat. Granted you may not be keeping him and you can give him all the blueberries/strawberries etc you want, but if they get too much in the fruit area, they can get hooked and will refuse veggies.

If they eat meat at all its usually insects and earth worms.

Good name too. :-)

Will he like meal worms? I was thinking about going up to the pet store tomorrow and getting him some to supplement his diet, and maybe a supplement or something. I already feel bad because he's such a big guy and I know they like to roam; the least I can do is give him some yummy bugs.

I have been watching this thread, i don't really have any advice but I thought i should say great job! Hope you can help that little guy out!

Thanks :) I went ahead and got him some meal worms. Now that I'm looking at his face closely, I'm concerned about his eyes. I don't think I've seen them totally open; just dark and squinty with a white fleshy sheath over it. Then again, maybe this is because I'm peering at him so closely. When I wait for him to extend his head and wave my hand in front of him, I don't really get a reaction.

Yeah, I've been thinking about how his eyes are as well. Hopefully they aren't in bad shape and he isn't responding to your movement is cause they are only caked over with tar and not burned out. Guess you'll find out in the coming days.

Has he eaten at all yet? Try the meal worms, he may or may not go for them I don't know if people feed them to torts.

You're doing great. I hope both of you will rest well tonight.

Thank you. And no, not that I've seen, unless he snuck some in during my worm run. He's mostly been sitting facing the wall in the corner of his enclosure. I'm wondering how I will even work on cleaning off his head? Obviously the withdrawal problem, and also scrubbing hard enough to remove tar but not being too abrasive

Sounds like he's comfortable with facing the wall. Most times I see boxies facing walls at pet stores. I'll ponder how you'll be able to get his head/face.

Q-tips?

Great idea/thanks for the reminder. Dip a q-tip in dawn and stroke/rub his neck/front feet even if he is sucked into his shell. I find turtles to get comfortable when they are gently rubbed like that and will come out of their shell.

If he eats for you while you are around, it is possible to try cleaning his head/neck while he is eating.

Excellent, he's not blind. :) I'm not sure if he's eaten for me or not though. But he's in another bath right now. Little brat woke me up a few times banging around on the walls of his enclosure. :P But he seems to be in good spirits. Going to try to q-tip him in a little while. Don't know what he did in there overnight, but he looks 100% better

this thread brings me great joy and a renewed hope in humanity! I have really enjoyed reading this and will continue to follow this thread! Although there are no awards for saving an innocent little box turtle, Destiny TOTALLY deserves one! Keep up the good work......and im sensing a new possible pet in the future?????? lol.

Its weird but they really love dubia roaches if you have any. They like worms alot as well.

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Originally Posted by DestinyLynette

Excellent, he's not blind. :) I'm not sure if he's eaten for me or not though. But he's in another bath right now. Little brat woke me up a few times banging around on the walls of his enclosure. :P But he seems to be in good spirits. Going to try to q-tip him in a little while. Don't know what he did in there overnight, but he looks 100% better

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Cool beans! Glad he is making noise for you. To me, that means he has energy and is in some kind of higher than expected spirits. Keep it up, and us posted. :)

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Its weird but they really love dubia roaches if you have any. They like worms alot as well.

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Didn't know boxies would be roach eaters. heh. Learn something new everyday.

Even if I had roaches, I'd break into hysterical, panicked tears touching them. xD He didn't seem super interested in his worms or salad, but I know he's been stressed. He MIGHT have eaten a meal worm... alternatively, it could have just wiggled away somewhere by the time I returned. :rolleyes: Thank you for the kind words and advice everyone, you've been such a big help. Today's focus / concern is working on getting the tar off his actual skin; his shell is looking great except some isolated, stubborn smears. I'm particularly trying to ponder how to get his head; q-tips aren't harsh enough to stand up to the tar so that's out. I've been trapping his little feet with a lathered sponge when I give him scrubs, and that gets some off, but not as much as I'd like. The only bits I've gotten off his head, I scratched off a layer of gunk off the very top of his skull with my thumb nail.

Lightly scrapping it off with your nails may be the way to go. His arms/legs you should be able to pull out of his shell and hold on to them. He won't like it and it'll seem like you're hurting him, but you won't.

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Originally Posted by norwegn113

this thread brings me great joy and a renewed hope in humanity! I have really enjoyed reading this and will continue to follow this thread! Although there are no awards for saving an innocent little box turtle, Destiny TOTALLY deserves one! Keep up the good work......and im sensing a new possible pet in the future?????? lol.

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This X 2
Keep up the good work!