Human activities are already putting a lot of pressure on many turtle populations. The hard shell, designed to protect turtles from predators, doesn`t do much to avoid being killed by a car. As road networks developed over the past half-century and turtle habitats fragmented, road mortality was the fate of countless adults. To compound injuries, poaching is widespread to fuel the illegal domestic pet trade and international exports. Whether you`re just applying for a hobby permit or a pet dealer license, you`ll need to be able to prove that the animals you acquire haven`t been collected anywhere in the wild. All turtles and turtles you receive must be accompanied by a receipt proving that the animal comes from a source where it was bred in captivity. Be sure to ask questions when buying from someone and be determined to get a receipt. Below is a link to NJ Fish and Wildlife if you would like to learn more or fill out an application. You can also find the number to reach the NJ Fish and Wildlife Service`s Exotic and Non-Wild Species Department directly. Please respect the laws! NJ is one of the last states that is truly fair with its regulations. However, with proper care, turtles can live for decades and become a foot long. It is a lifelong responsibility for which many people are not prepared.
If you`ve done extensive research and are willing to deal with the commitment and responsibility of a turtle, we recommend adopting one from a local shelter or rescue group rather than creating an increased demand for turtles by buying one from a pet store. Visit the Shelter Pet Project to find your local hideaway. Turtles offered for sale in online classifieds are usually labeled as bred in captivity, which may theoretically be legal in some states. However, the label “born in captivity” or “bred in captivity” is often a lie about selling wild and poached turtles. There is no effective way to verify these claims, as it is impossible to distinguish a captive-born turtle from a wild turtle. Actively picking up a turtle from the wild and moving it completely is another matter. If you don`t do it for research and you have the necessary permits, you`d do well to leave wild turtles alone. If the wild turtle was brought to your home by a child, try to estimate where it was taken from and return it carefully as soon as possible. If the wild turtle in question has been in your possession for several weeks, contact the local authorities. In areas where there are environmental laws and conservation policies, it is generally illegal to keep wild turtles as pets. If you choose to enter your property or pond alone, you will not be blamed or held responsible for its survival. Many people with wild ponds and other types of water games are able to successfully attract wild turtles, which become vital for the ecological balance of their gardens.
As long as you`re not actively trying to restrict or catch one, it should be okay to allow a turtle to live on your property. It may seem too easy to pick up a wild turtle, take it home and take care of it like a pet. However, if you really care about animal sanitation, conservation, and welfare, you certainly wouldn`t touch wild turtles. Simply put, you shouldn`t keep wild turtles as pets, even if they seem to need your help. Wild Snapping Turtles, which are easy to find in eastern North America, can undoubtedly catch a strong bite. Legend has it that the largest of its kind, which any sane person would avoid, could break the bones of the fingers in half! Whether small or large, these animals should never be touched, let alone by hand. If you find that they are causing problems on the road or on your property, contact your local wildlife management unit. In fact, wild turtles are cute, but the bacteria they can carry are certainly not. The surfaces of their shells and skin harbor colonies of potentially deadly pathogens. One of the most common diseases caused by the treatment of wild turtles is salmonellosis. Caused by salmonella bacteria, this disease can infect humans and trigger symptoms such as fever, gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea, nausea and headache. The laws that regulate herpes — that is, reptiles and amphibians — can be complicated, and trying to figure them out can be really confusing.
But questions about legality arise all the time when it comes to human-owned turtles. So we`ve teamed up with CT DEEP to clarify the answers to the most common FAQs below. For those who want to delve deeper into certain regulations, this link will take you to the main list of state regulations; You`ll need to look for the relevant links to find specific regulations: eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/RCSA. Injured or obviously ill turtles may need human help to recover and return to the wild. If you discover one, consult a local expert or veterinarian. They should be able to help and guide you so that you can safely move the turtle to a place where it can be properly cared for. Once the turtle has recovered, experts should then be able to determine how and where it should be released. In the end, keeping a pet turtle is not as simple as it seems: turtles invest a lot of time and energy in developing a strong and heavy shell to protect themselves from predators.
As a result, they do not begin to reproduce until late in life. Even a large mammal like a white-tailed deer can breed at the age of one year, but Snapping Turtles have to wait five or six years. Some exceptionally long-lived species start even later – Eastern box turtles and Blanding`s turtles do not breed until they are 10 and 17 years old, respectively. If the turtle looks healthy and is in a natural and safe area, the best way to really help is to let it be. Another, more radical way to help wild turtle populations is to boycott pet stores that cannot prove that their animals are bred in captivity. Unfortunately, many wild turtles continue to be illegally removed from the wild and sold in areas where animal welfare laws are poorly enforced. Can I collect wild turtles if I don`t intend to keep them? No. It is absolutely illegal to buy, sell, trade or have wild turtles or their eggs in your possession. The collection, trade or trade of our native turtles is one of the largest and most dynamic threats to their survival.
