I want to find a painted turtle egg or really any turtle egg. I want to hatch it out myself and give my little RES a buddy to play with. But I have no idea where to look for turtle eggs. I know they are mating between April and May and will lay soon after that. But where would I look for turtle nests? Next to the water? Would the eggs be barried? Also, would I need to keep the egg at a certain tempurature. Or would room temps be ok. I know it's not that warm out in spring. So would rooms temps of 69F-75F be ok?
nuggular - you know better than that. i can't believe you even want to do that with all you know about herps and taking wild animals and such. gotta say, i'm kind of disappointed. there are a million reasons (most of them posted *somewhere* around these boards in one thread or another) why NOT to take animals from the wild - much less raiding nests and taking the eggs.
I dont really see anything wrong with it. How do you think we have the pets we have. Someone somewhere took an animal or egg or whatever from the wild and raised it themselves. Thats how we got all the herps we have today. They have just been bread in captivity so long that knowone really thinks about that. I am fully against taking a live hatched animal from the wild. They have known the wild life and it wouldnt be fair. I would take the egg purely on a sciencetific basis. I really wanted to be a biologist or herpologist and I just dont have the time or money. So I have to make it my hobby. I am very interested in finding out about life and what makes it tick. I have 2 ponds near my house with about 20 painted turtles in each pond. They are very abundunt around my area in many ponds and lakes. I dont think taking one egg is going to do any harm. Please dont attack me for this. I am a very consious animal lover and I really want to study them. I was also going to hatch some frogs eggs when I find them. I plan on building an outside pond for them so that when they morph they get go as they please. I am very interested in this sort of thing. Again I say that my intentions are for a learning experience and to gain knowledge. p.s. You must hate the zoo hey. They take animals right out of the wild. I dont really like the zoo either. :wink:
look, nuggular, if you want to start a debate that's fine. we'll have at it. but i'd prefer not to. 90% of the people on these boards think the way i do (not that the majority is always right, of course). you asked "How do you think we got the pets we have?" - well DUH people took them from the wild initially! everybody knows that, nuggular. that doesn't mean that this practice should *continue*! you also said "I dont think taking one egg is going to do any harm." really, nuggular? well that's what each of the people who started taking the Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtles and their eggs thought and now that species is pretty much extinct in the wild. if 100 people say "i don't know what harm taking one egg can do" then 100 eggs are gone!! 100!! we have hundreds of visitors on this site each day! we are on a public forum and we can not (and i will not) condone such things here or anywhere! also, zoos do NOT take animals out of the wild on a regular basis! most of the animals are captive bred in other zoos and are put on temporary loans and such to other zoos. the only animals that are wild caught for zoos are the most common of species and even then it is not a common thing. here's an article i wrote recently on the subject. it only discusses the basic logic behind the do-not-take-animals-from-the-wild-rule, but i'd appreciate it if you took a look: "Your local parks, forests, and ponds are wonderful places to visit. Sometimes you may even be lucky enough to find some wildlife. Deer, foxes, raccoons, turtles, salamanders, owls, squirrels, and frogs are commonly observed in North America - even in some peoples' backyards. In some areas of the world a temperature or humidity change may bring wild animals into your garage, basement, or even into your living room! Many of the wild animals you may see are fascinating. Some have brilliant colors, some have long legs, some can jump great distances, some can bury themselves deep under the soil, and some can climb the highest trees. The reason that pets exist today is because human beings have always been admiring these wild animals, choosing the most tame or useful ones, and breeding them for generations. Most reptile and amphibian pets have not been domesticated for nearly as long as some mammals (horses and dogs, for example), but they are slowly becoming popular. Many people first become interested in herps (reptiles and amphibians) when they find one in the wild. The first instinct for many individuals is to take the animal home with them. They like the animal they have found and think that he will be better off in captivity. 'Besides', they think, 'what harm could be done by taking one tiny animal from it's habitat?' The answer is: a lot of harm can be done by taking even the smallest animal from any habitat. Many people believe that if they take an animal from the wild, they are doing the animal a favor. 'How can this animal be safe and happy out here?', someone might wonder. 'I'll bet he would be happier inside a warm house with plenty of food', they say to themselves. The truth is that you are not doing this animal any favors by taking it from it's natural habitat. Even if you think the conditions are not good for the animal, you should leave it where you found it. Taking any animal from the wild is very stressful and dangerous for it. Animals that are born wild are typically not well-suited for captive life. For one thing, they become very stressed (which usually leads to a weakened immune system, lack of appetite, high blood pressure, etc). Also, it is almost impossible to give any wild animal the same diet that they had when living in it's natural habitat. Unless you plan on crawling around on your hands and knees looking for 50 different species of tiny invertebrates or climbing the trees at your local park to pick all the leaves and fruit off the branches, the wild animal you have captured will more than likely be confused by the store-bought foods you have placed in his cage. He may not even eat the food you offer him at all. It is quite common for wild-caught animals to refuse to eat and many die from starvation within weeks of capture. Wild animals aren't usually too fond of humans, either. When captured they will usually run away, bite, try to hide, scratch you, make loud noises, struggle to get out of the grasp of your hand, and/or urinate on you. It is not a fun experience for you or the animal and it is completely unnecessary. Many wild animals have the ability to poison you, as well - sometimes they don't even have to bite you for the toxins to take effect. Leave animals alone and they will typically leave you alone. There are also many diseases and parasites in human homes that wild animals would normally never come into contact with. When you bring a wild animal into your home, they are now suddenly in contact with thousands of germs, allergens, and viruses that they have never come into contact with before. If you have children and/or other pets, the risk of your wild-caught animal getting sick skyrockets even higher. Many wild-caught animals die from disease within weeks of capture simply because their immune systems could not catch up with the vastly different environments they were placed in. Wild-caught animals also frequently bring diseases from their natural habitats into private homes and make other animals sick. Space is another problem. Reputable animal breeders will encourage you to get the largest cage that you possibly can for most animals - and these large cages are for animals that are captive-bred and used to being confined. If animals that are used to captivity need large cages, imagine how big the cage of a wild-caught animal should be if we are to avoid giving it a stressful environment. Taking an animal from it's natural habitat also effects the habitat. Removing animals from the wild means removing an important part of the food chain. What if that newt you found and brought home would have been the life-saving meal of a fledgling bird had you not removed it from it's home? What if the turtle you found near that pond was the only thing keeping the pond from being taken over by a harmful invasive species of minnow? What if everyone who found a cool animal in the wild took it home with them? There would be no cool animals left in the wild. Even removing so-called 'pest species' can have devastating effects on other local populations. Many reptiles and amphibians are now on endangered species lists. This usually means that they are illegal to keep if taken from the wild. This also means that, if you take one of them from it's natural habitat, the fate of the species is even more at risk. There are so many wonderful species of animals that can be purchased safely and legally. Why take an animal from it's home (more than likely sentencing it to death, illness, and/or a stressful, unhappy life) when you can hand-pick the individual of the species you want after thoroughly researching it to insure your pet a great life? When you find a wild reptile or amphibian that interests you, always research it first - and never remove one from the wild. You will probably even be able to locate a breeder from which you can get the species (or a very similar one). Besides, captive-bred animals are more easily tamed, are typically better eaters, are far more likely to be healthy, and provide you with animal companionship without taking life from the environment. As with most things, there are exceptions to the Don't-Take-Wild-Animals-From-Their-Natural-Habitat Rule. The only reason you should ever take a wild animal from the wild or move it is if the animal is in immediate danger or is greatly injured. Many people commonly find turtles, salamanders, and other animals slowly crossing country roads. If you find an animal in the street and you can safely pull over and put your flashers on, you should safely move the animal at least 10 or 20 feet away from the road and place them facing away from the pavement. You must be careful, though. Use gloves if at all possible and do not approach any animal that you think may be even remotely dangerous. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water as soon as possible. Feel free to call your local sheriff or animal control officer to come retrieve large and/or dangerous animals from precarious situations. If you find an animal that is injured, you should also call someone to come rescue it. If there is not time to wait and the animal is not dangerous, you can pick the animal up with gloves on, put it in a secure box or other container with air holes, and drive it to your local park ranger station, police station, veterinarian, Department of Natural Resources office, or animal control station. They will know how to care for the animal properly. Only with professional rehabilitation do the majority of injured wild animals survive and successfully become reintroduced into their natural habitat." "Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints" - Chief Seattle article © CLH and Herp InfoSource
No I did not want to start a debate. I was just defending myself. I dont have time right now to read that article because I am at work. I will read it later. As for the egg, I have given up on the idea. So just forget it.
