Caring for a baby snapping turtle?

Question

I found a baby snapping turtle at work & brought it home.

What do I feed it, how do I take care of it?

Never had a turtle before, what kind of tank would it go in & what should be in it?

Right now I'm just concerned about what to feed it, I don't think its eaten anything yet today.

Thanx in advance for any help!

Answer 1

release it into the wild, bring it to a lake or something and let it go, please dont keep it. most wild caught animals dont live long in captivity, maybe a few days and if there luck a few weeks,  

Answer 2

Food: Live earthworms, fishes (not goldfish), and soft-bodied insects. Liver dusted in bone meal is good too. When it becomes adult, you can try dark green leafy vegetables.

Tank: bare, fairly shallow water, 10 gallons per inch of shell. They rarely bask.

In another 5-7 years it should have a shell length of 6-8". And they keep on growing.

Answer 3

You do realise that it will need a large pond to live in once it reaches adult hood right? You should release it, and if you don't want too, then you should take it to a vet to check for parisites, and health issues. The vet should inform you about everything you need for him. It will cost you alot of money and maybe a few digets. They think everything is food.

Answer 4

you should release it in the same area that you found it.  picture of adult snapping turtle below.  they do not make good pets and can seriously hurt you.  do you really want to care for something that is going to get this big?

Answer 5

Snapping turtles are a very poor choice for a first-timer.

You should release it where you found it, so it has a chance to survive.

Answer 6

Snapping turtles are actually easy to keep in captivity....as long as you have the proper size aquarium (55 gallon-200/garden pond).  Fill the tank 3/4 full with a large rock being exposed (although they rarley bask), and lots of vgatation and a sandy bottom (they like to bury themselves).  As far as people saying if you keep them in captivty and release them in the wild they will die, thats a myth.  Turtles have been around for millions of years and know how to survive with the help of humans or without.  They know what to do naturally and feeding it from your hand won't make it behave differently than it being in the wild.  Eventually the turtle will lose it's trust in humans as a food sorce, and they naturally hunt for food.  I suggest keeping it until it gets around 5-6 inches and release it.  They eat everything.  Plant matter to live food.  Feed it fish, mealworms, chicken and even turtle pellets.  They do get very large and are always aggresive.  You will see how quick they can snap while they are eating.  They can also survive long periods of time without eating, although it's not recomended to starve it, don't worry if it doesn't eat right away.

Answer 7

I agree, release it. Snapping turtles live for a long time, may even outlive you. Since they are raised on pellets and floating food, once they are kept captive they cannot be release, or they will die.

Find a turtle at a pet store, will cost you a buck or two, but at least they were bred for that purpose.