box turtle relocation

[brettsemrick]

Well I can actually say I did a good deed today. I came into work today and the boss's dog was going crazy. I walked out back and couldn't figure out what all the noise was about and then out of the corner of my eye I saw a box turtle coincidentally walk out from behind a cardboard box. I work at a tattoo shop that is on the corner of a busy four lane highway and another heavy traffic road, so I was really scared that this little guy was gonna possibly get run over or something bad. I caught him and took him to my parents place where they have 9 acres of pretty heavily wooded land and there are other box turtles and let him or her go.





at it's new home!!

[MPenn]

I hate to say this but you probably sent that box turtle to his grave. There has been multiple studies done that show that translocating a box turtle to a habitat that we may feel is appropiate, does them more harm than good.
Box turtles have small home ranges and in these home ranges they know where to find food, water, and shelter. When we move them, they become overly stressed and disoriented.

Check out this site for more info:
www.btpt.org/

[Christine]

The sad part is that it gets so built up where these little guys live that you almost have to move them or they dont have a shot at all. The best thing is to find a area very close to where you found him that he can be released in. Since they have a built in gps system. LOL

[brettsemrick]

I figured there was probably so potential downsides to relocating it. But I would like to think it has better chance where I moved it to instead of becoming a chew toy for a boxer or getting run over because I see that happen quite a bit in the area i live in.

[MPenn]

I am with you. I had moved a box turtle (with the best intentions, as you did) many moons ago before I found out more about them.
The best you can do is move them to an area very close by where you find them.

[brettsemrick]

Well the area i moved him to was about 10 minutes from where i found him so maybe it will work out I hope. But thanks for the info and I will definitely be taking that into consideration if this happens again in the future.

[Dabonus]

I go out of my way to stop and move turtles I see in the street. I've always heard that they have a very small area where they live, and if you see one actually trying to cross a road it's for breeding purposes. Because of this I nomrally run out and grab them, then simply place them on the opposite side of the road for them to go about their business.

[PhrynosomaTexas]

I figured there was probably so potential downsides to relocating it. But I would like to think it has better chance where I moved it to instead of becoming a chew toy for a boxer or getting run over because I see that happen quite a bit in the area i live in.

Actually, probably not. You did the exact wrong thing in 99% of cases, and that is a fact. Do not EVER relocate a terrestrial turtle or tortoise (and for that matter snakes and lizards apply too) without consulting a reptile specialized wildlife rehabilitator or someone with similar expertise. In some situations it's even illegal to do so depending on what state you are in. One of the previous posters was completely correct. There are numerous studies using radio tracking of relocated box turtles, and most of the time it's not good findings. All you have to do is google on the topic. They've found the same is true with many lizard and snake relocations as well.

Mike C.
Certified Instructor (CE), Animal Control (Reptiles)
Texas Dept. of State Health Services

Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue
The Society for Horned Lizard Preservation

[The Serpent Merchant]

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