Our temporary turtle friend

[Andee]

Besides people? I am not sure... I know there are likely a lot of things that eat younger ones, like herons and egrets etc. Likely more... Not many from what I know get to the full size because they don't get to that age. I know some people when they eat turtles and stuff do not butcher the animal humanely in my opinion and it makes me mad. But as long as an animal has had a good life and is butchered as humanely as possible then it's fine. Generally severing the brain stem is the best way to butcher a turtle.

 

[RedMountainHome]

I live in Western NC, too, and they're just about everywhere in this state. I grew up in the sticks and remember people talking about making turtle soup out of them.

It's cool that you got to show your kid such an awesome critter, and I'm glad no one got hurt!

 

[kinyonga]

Tortdad...we're they killed according to the rules set out by the government?

In Ontario they are not allowed to be hunted and are a species of concern.
When females are killed crossing the road here during egglaying season, the eggs are harvested and hatched and released according to the rules set out by the government.

 

[Andee]

I think in the US they aren't much of a species of concern from what it's been the last few years, haven't researched this current year. In most states they have an open season but I know you have to have a permit for them and have to take them only with a bow or firearm... But most people don't know how to prepare or butcher them well so they aren't hunted as much as they used to be.

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

I love snapping turtles. The pet place where I buy my hornworms has a snapping turtle, had it since it was very small. They used to let it walk all around the pet shop and they had a back enclosure with a little pond in the back area where they kept the larger fish outside. He is the sweetest thing. And when they would get a lot of costumers they'd have him walk to the back all by himself and he would wait at the gate thing until he could come out. Unfortunately one night some kids broke into the shop and tried to steal him and some other animals and dropped him when they were trying to get him over the gate. His shell cracked and those jerks just left him on his back and ran off, he was really hurt for a while. But every time I go I ask about him they say he's fine. But they took him home and decided to just keep him there for now own because they're worried something like that will happen again.

Lol. Sorry to be a bummer.

 

[Andee]

Not a bummer, but he must have fallen at just the right place on something like rock or concrete, cause their shells are hard to crack otherwise unless they are run over or crushed by a lot of weight in some other way.

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

Not a bummer, but he must have fallen at just the right place on something like rock or concrete, cause their shells are hard to crack otherwise unless they are run over or crushed by a lot of weight in some other way.

The gate was very high up, idk if that makes a difference to the impact. But that's what the owners said. They said when they came into work they found him upside down behind the back gate of the pet shop and his shell was cracked. Oh also the back gate is located in the parking area which is asphalt if that paints a better picture. I felt so sorry for the little guy. They said at first he wasn't eating or anything. But that was months ago he is walking around again according to them and back to his normal self.

 

[Andee]

If they took him to the vet and he was taken care of it sounds about right. It just takes a while when turtles/tortoises carapaces are cracked for them to heal up and get better.

 

[Virgil1972]

Tortdad...we're they killed according to the rules set out by the government?

In Ontario they are not allowed to be hunted and are a species of concern.
When females are killed crossing the road here during egglaying season, the eggs are harvested and hatched and released according to the rules set out by the government.

In Wisconsin there are no set ways to kill them. You can keep 3 statewide except for the Mississippi area where the limit is 10. Size limits are 12 inch min and 16 max.

 

[kinyonga]

I was just concerned that they were killed humanely. Many reptiles need to have the brain destroyed (pithed) quickly in order to avoid suffering. This definitely includes chameleons when euthanized. Their brains die slowly.

I know we kill animals to eat but I like it to be done as humanely as possible...fish, eels, mammals, etc.

 

[Andee]

I know in general a huge amount of chefs and people in general do not kills half the things we eat humanely. Mammals are usually pretty well taken care of in that area, but reptiles, fish, eels, crustraceans... etc... humans are generally assholes.