I accidentally rescued an invasive turtle, now what?
I was driving past target an hour ago and this turtle was trying to cross the busy road and almost getting crushed so I rushed out and grabbed it and took it home because it seemed tame and looked like someone’s pet.
When I got home I found out it is probably a red-eared slider, invasive to our area. I drove back to target where I found it, but could not imagine letting it back out there where everything looked so dry and spiky, and I was worried it’d end up in the road again. I can’t tell if it’s feral or someone’s abandoned pet because it IS that time of year for pet abandonment imo…
So, now it is back in my tub. I checked the sacramento herp society website and it said not to rescue these guys (oops!). I checked with Petco and they said they don’t have the facilities for it. I will likely call yolo shelter in the morning or anyone else like the wildlife rehab etc? Anyone else have some ideas? Anyone with a proper enclosure? It appears to be a young adult? Seems very healthy and super calm/mellow. Didn’t try to bite, eyes are clear and vibrant but shell seemed a bit dry. Thanks for any help!