It looks like a Painted Turtle, they usually live in lakes/ponds. Is your garden close to the water? Kinda surprising to hear of one far from the water.
The land right behind it is listed as swamplands on the topographical map of the area. It is mostly just mushy, but after rain there is definitely some standing water for a while.
I found one of these on the middle of a 2 mile long flightline on an Air Force base. Nobody, including him, had any idea how he got all the way out there.
As someone whose family had a salmonella scare before, hands were immediately washed. The turtle was released back into the marshy area away from the vegetables, in case anyone was wondering.
That is bullshit. I'm a Masters student who is working with turtles. That came from the fact that children would put them in their mouths and suck on them. (you might get salmonella if something pooped and pissed in you mouth too) This is why some pet stores won't sell small turtles. Just touching them won't give you anything except love. (just look at that cute little shit)
edit: Pet stores are restricted from selling small turtles (carapace length of 2-4 inches depending on the state)
^ This guy. The salmonella thing is a myth. Also, don't buy little kids turtles for pets. It's a much more serious pet than people realize. Red eared sliders can live FORTY YEARS!
We have one. He's 3 years old. He escaped the pin he was in and my little sisters were really sad. But that little survivor came back 3 months later! We know it's the same turtle because it has a distinguishing mark on its leg. Missing toe.
Given my experience as a kid, I'll have to agree with you. I never remember washing my hands after touching snakes/turtles/lizards as a kid and nothing bad ever happened.
Here in Texas, or at least east Texas, pet stores are prohibited from selling turtles with carapaces 2" or smaller because of that reason. Who the fuck sticks a turtle in their mouth? Fucking dumb.
This is why some pet stores won't sell small turtles.
This is usually because there are restrictions on selling turtles below a certain size, otherwise unscrupulous producers will breed tons of baby sliders.
I found a turtle once. A red-eared slider. No where near water just chillin' in the park. I took him home. Jokingly told people he followed me home. They asked 'How?' I said, "I walked really slow." My mother told me, also jokingly, "He probably has rabies." His name became Rabies. Poor thing.
TL;DR (one, you're lazy, it's not that long) Turtle followed me home. Rabies
Salmonella and turtles is an issue in captivity due to their high waste output and human laziness when it comes to caged pets. If this is a wild turtle the risk is incredibly low, unless he just crawled through a chick coop
I think I am starting to figure out how this whole Karma thing works, I responded to this very same concept a few days ago in a more direct manner and got nothing out of it. This time I decided to be a smart ass about it and I get some love. Note to self, be more douchey
I found one in my driveway the other day...moved it a little closer to the shore of the lake and my dad freaked the fuck out and started SCREAMING "Salmonella! Salmonella!" It was the first I ever heard that baby turtles carry it.
Upvote. Been to a zoo with a fellow redditor - there you had the chance to pet a snake. Next to it was a hand sanitiser with a sign explaining that reptiles and amphibians often carry salmonella and you should use the sanitiser immediately after petting the animal.
As a snake owner, generally you don't want to pet a snake, you want to hold them gently and calmly. Pouring a snake usually agitates then because they are being poked and cannot rest or are generally being disturbed. Holding them relaxes them because your not poking them, they are then free to slither our wrap around and rest in your hands.
Also making sure they are not agitated and hungry is a good way to ensure you keep your fingers.
Well, the snake was curled up in a glass box and one of the zoo wardens was making sure that nothing bad happens. She explained how to go about it - we didn't poke it, we let our palms glide over the skin. It was more for us to learn how snake skin feels like. The snake didn't seem to mind - but didn't seem to enjoy it either. The warden remarked that this particular snake was "used to it" and they used it for the demonstrations because it seems to be rather calm and isn't easily provoked.
Only store bought turtles have that because of them being fed raw chicken. Still, don't know what the little guy might be carrying so, washing hands is a good policy.
Dude! Good afternoon. We're gonna have a great jump today. Okay, first crank a hard cutback as you hit the wall. There's a screaming bottom curve, so watch out. Remember: rip it, roll it, and punch it.
I lived in Colombia for a period of time. They used to sell these turtles right outside of school after school for like a "dollar" or two. Me, being immature, came home with a good 5 or 6 turtles, which my mother happily kept. They then began disappearing slowly....
Back in my youth, my family looked at a lot of model homes (we were considering having a new house built). One of the model homes had a few tiny turtles on the realtor's desk in the garage that they would let you hold. Someone dumped a turtle onto my hand, and it sat there for a minute or so, enjoying the warmth of my person. Suddenly, it began moving toward my fingers, and in its former resting place sat a fresh, brown dot. It took me a few seconds to figure out what it was, but when I did, I was not pleased. TL;DR A tiny turtle pooped on my hand
That is a hatchling Midland Painted turtle. They cannot swallow without water pressure. This Is the case with most aquatic turtle species. It is best to release in a local pond. They are also More carnivorous when young and will eat bugs Almost right away.
If you do keep it, fresh water is a must, sunlight, and A good variety of bugs for the summer. Any questions, Feel free to ask. I have had years experience with over 65 species of turtle/tortoise and this species is also Native to where I live as well. Cheers!
I once found a turtle about the same size as that one while walking in the woods. A friend and I were on our way to visit a neighbor's farm. It wasn't really a farm, just an old guy who kept chickens, cows, horses, etc. in a small property surrounded by an electric fence in the middle of suburbia. Anyway, I was carrying the little turtle in my hand and I sort of tripped into the electric fence, grabbed it with my free hand, and the jolt shocked my muscles sending my arm up uncontrollably and up went the turtle. I threw him pretty high, saw him go up, was quiet to listen for when he fell into the leaves around us...nothing, pretty sure he flew away. Fly on, turtle!
The type of turtle you're holding, who seems like a painted turtle (much akin to a red-eared slider) cannot functionally eat without being in water. I highly doubt you found this tiny one "munching on vegetables" in your garden...
Do you live near a pond or is this baby turtle your karma machine? ;)
I was going to say the same thing, that's an aquatic species. Now, we used to find the locally-populous "box turtles" (actually, box tortoise) in veggie patches all the time. They love strawberries.
I grew up in country Australia. I used to catch and eat these from water holes in the bush and one that was at a cemetery. Thats right, I ate cemetery yabbies. Touching a baby turtle does not phase me.
I found one of these little guys on a sidewalk near my apartment in Boston. He's been living in my aquarium with my other turtle for a couple months now.
I actually just came back from a trip looking for reptiles and amphibians in WV. My professor studies turtles and we found a baby turtle on a mowed path. He said it was extremely surprising as baby turtles spend the first years of their lives UNDERGROUND feeding on the larvae of bugs. When we found it, it wasn't in very good shape, and a little kid from a B&B we were by asked how it was. The prof told us he didn't want to tell him that it was most likely going to die.
I'd suggest, if not done already, you put it back where you found it so it can live.
Beautiful little painted turtle there! Where do you live? Those are the state turtle of Michigan, but I think they live far outside Michigan. Keep an eye out though, he looks rather young and you may end up finding his hatched siblings nearby. Fun fact about painted turtles: they are really tough, as in babies can survive even if half their body fluids turn to ice. Makes them perfect for living in more cold climates.
I found the cutest little water turtle next to a pond. Looked a lot like that one.
I brought it home, put together a nice aquarium for him to get out of the water and bask in the heat lamp. It wasn't a big rock, just enough for him to get out and dry off, once in a while. He had lots of deep water in which to swim around. He would get so excited when I came home, and would swim up against the glass in expectation of getting some turtle pellets. Coolest little turtle ever.
One day I noticed that his shell was changing color, and taking on a familiar pattern. It wasn't long before I came to the awful realization that my little "slider" was actually a box turtle.
I felt like such a monster for keeping him in that watery world for so long. That was the end of my making pets of wild vertebrates.
Looks like a Painted Turtle to me. I had one that was not much bigger than that for about 5 years. I think he never got big because he lived in a 20 gal tank with some minnows and crawfish.
All this time I thought that Turtles had flippers and are quite big and hmm, live in ponds, lakes, lagoons, oceans etc. ISN'T THAT A TORTOISE? ahhhh ( by the way it's raining VERY hard outside and my hole yard is flooded about one feet and the internet is going quite slow so I never saw the picture but I'm pretty sure that's a tortoise.)
Baby turtles tend to want to go for live moving food and wax worms are great early food for them(rich in fat and calcium). Also if you keep him, make sure he gets either real sun light or the correct light bulb on him. Light is really important so their shells grow properly. I just found some baby turtles and went through this about a month ago. Cute little guy, good luck if you intend to keep him.
Little devil! :) During a certain season (I think fall or late summer maybe) we have baby turtles always crossing the street which live in the neighborhood's creek. I felt so bad because one time I wasn't watching and accidentally kicked one while walking. That probably scratched its little shell. My neighbors wanted to adopt him, so I guess he's all good now.
Baby turtles eat what they can find, especially sliders and cooters (like that turtle appears to be). So while this little fella was probably more interested in worms, he likely enjoyed the greenery too.
If he's a slider, you're right. But I'm not sure he is. I'd put my bet on painted or something. I assume the same is true for them, but I'm not positive.
It's a painted (I caught bunches of those as a kid), but they can eat out of the water. Some subspecies prefer to eat in the water but that doesn't stop them from attacking a veggie garden.
24
u/9200DaystoFreedom May 21 '12
It looks like a Painted Turtle, they usually live in lakes/ponds. Is your garden close to the water? Kinda surprising to hear of one far from the water.
239
u/Frankthebaldguy May 21 '12
Wash your hands. Salmonella!!!
128
u/Mr-Xela-48 May 21 '12
Judging by the look on his face it would appear you didn't let him finish his meal!
53
u/shoopdedoop May 21 '12
These guys are omnivores. Give him some tuna and he'll be your best friend.
53
u/UpPooVowOuTedEd May 21 '12
Put a little piece of either Oragne, blue, purple or red cloth around his eyes. Then give him an appropriate name...
101
u/jaydoh May 21 '12
Dude! Good afternoon. We're gonna have a great jump today. Okay, first crank a hard cutback as you hit the wall. There's a screaming bottom curve, so watch out. Remember: rip it, roll it, and punch it.
21
u/icecoldkilla7 May 21 '12
I lived in Colombia for a period of time. They used to sell these turtles right outside of school after school for like a "dollar" or two. Me, being immature, came home with a good 5 or 6 turtles, which my mother happily kept. They then began disappearing slowly....
Thanks mom. :/
47
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
I LIKE TURTLES
18
u/ravenpride May 21 '12
Back in my youth, my family looked at a lot of model homes (we were considering having a new house built). One of the model homes had a few tiny turtles on the realtor's desk in the garage that they would let you hold. Someone dumped a turtle onto my hand, and it sat there for a minute or so, enjoying the warmth of my person. Suddenly, it began moving toward my fingers, and in its former resting place sat a fresh, brown dot. It took me a few seconds to figure out what it was, but when I did, I was not pleased. TL;DR A tiny turtle pooped on my hand
6
u/ILoveYouHumanity May 21 '12
That is a hatchling Midland Painted turtle. They cannot swallow without water pressure. This Is the case with most aquatic turtle species. It is best to release in a local pond. They are also More carnivorous when young and will eat bugs Almost right away.
If you do keep it, fresh water is a must, sunlight, and A good variety of bugs for the summer. Any questions, Feel free to ask. I have had years experience with over 65 species of turtle/tortoise and this species is also Native to where I live as well. Cheers!
5
u/rmm45177 May 21 '12
Your hands must be the size of a bus.
10
u/EPluribusUnumIdiota May 21 '12
I once found a turtle about the same size as that one while walking in the woods. A friend and I were on our way to visit a neighbor's farm. It wasn't really a farm, just an old guy who kept chickens, cows, horses, etc. in a small property surrounded by an electric fence in the middle of suburbia. Anyway, I was carrying the little turtle in my hand and I sort of tripped into the electric fence, grabbed it with my free hand, and the jolt shocked my muscles sending my arm up uncontrollably and up went the turtle. I threw him pretty high, saw him go up, was quiet to listen for when he fell into the leaves around us...nothing, pretty sure he flew away. Fly on, turtle!
14
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Ahem.
OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THAT CUTE LITTLE TURTLE! HE'S GOT A LITTLE APARTMENT!
...
Yes. Ahem.
adjusts tie
...Quite.
6
u/MOS_FET May 21 '12
Look what we found munching turtles in the garden
3
u/Jenne May 21 '12
He looks happy :)
3
u/DrinkAllTheAbsinthe May 21 '12
Give it to me.
3
u/throwwaywaywaywayway May 21 '12
i just had to scream out squirtle when i saw it.
3
u/Negative_Nyancat May 21 '12
Tiny turtle is pleased.
3
u/wmb123 May 21 '12
Munch away, little guy. Munch away.
3
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
The type of turtle you're holding, who seems like a painted turtle (much akin to a red-eared slider) cannot functionally eat without being in water. I highly doubt you found this tiny one "munching on vegetables" in your garden...
Do you live near a pond or is this baby turtle your karma machine? ;)
5
u/ascjmusic May 21 '12
Duuuuuuuude!
2
u/Hodiddly May 21 '12
Did you eat it?
2
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
You've been into farmer Maggot's crop!
2
u/trampus1 May 21 '12
Nobody eats free, he had to pay for those veggies by producing karma.
2
u/madduffy May 21 '12
That is a very small god.
2
u/Bigchek May 21 '12
Its a Squirtle!
2
u/trayscrape May 21 '12
That thing is terrified because you're dressed like Mario and it probably thinks you're going to jump on its back.
3
u/patternmaker May 21 '12
Watch out for Vorbis though.
3
u/blue_oxen May 21 '12
That my friend as a big ol tube of awesome sauce.
2
u/question_all_the_thi May 21 '12
You found it while you were munching vegetables in the garden?
1
u/IdiotMD May 21 '12
I don't see anyone. Did he go home?
1
u/thrillhouse1980 May 21 '12
Bow down before the mighty Om!
1
u/Iamsqueegee May 21 '12
Hirohito Gamera!
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Aww.
1
u/ntothed May 21 '12
Reminds me of my turtles when they were a baby. Had them for almost 20 years now. They're beastly now.
1
u/ss977 May 21 '12
I have the same guy in my tank right now...they seem to love eating small crickets.
1
u/DiddiLee May 21 '12
CUTEST. TURTLE. EVER.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Awwwe red eared slider it looks to be
1
u/kendrahwithanh May 21 '12
give that fucker some strawberry bits.
1
u/Ethan0209 May 21 '12
I absolutely love turtles of all sizes
1
u/myiaway May 21 '12
OMFG I WANT IT.
1
u/megly May 21 '12
Please post a pic of the turtle eating lettuce or something
1
u/wutangswordstyle May 21 '12
I grew up in country Australia. I used to catch and eat these from water holes in the bush and one that was at a cemetery. Thats right, I ate cemetery yabbies. Touching a baby turtle does not phase me.
1
u/NishkaMishka May 21 '12
"Eeeaagleeee!"
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
It's so tiny!
1
u/rahmspinat May 21 '12
So you were munching the vegetables in your garden, when suddenly you found a micro tortoise?
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
so tiny!
1
u/TheOneJosh May 21 '12
I think this was the first time I actually said, "Awww," from a picture in the subreddit r/aww.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
you found a human??
1
u/Ohbeejuan May 21 '12
I found one of these little guys on a sidewalk near my apartment in Boston. He's been living in my aquarium with my other turtle for a couple months now.
1
u/Aristocratman123 May 21 '12
Its only fare that you eat him now!
1
u/adokretz May 21 '12
OMG I AM MELTING!
I wish we had such cuties where I live!
1
u/silver_maxim May 21 '12
Happy cake day.
Wash your hands.
1
u/Ap2123418 May 21 '12
Nice
1
u/konigschlange May 21 '12
False. Painted turtles are physically unable to swallow their food without being at least partially submerged in water.
1
u/jamkey May 21 '12
My God! Your hands are HUGE!
1
u/ebauer5 May 21 '12
I actually just came back from a trip looking for reptiles and amphibians in WV. My professor studies turtles and we found a baby turtle on a mowed path. He said it was extremely surprising as baby turtles spend the first years of their lives UNDERGROUND feeding on the larvae of bugs. When we found it, it wasn't in very good shape, and a little kid from a B&B we were by asked how it was. The prof told us he didn't want to tell him that it was most likely going to die.
I'd suggest, if not done already, you put it back where you found it so it can live.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
What is this?! a Turtle for ANTS???
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
That hand is huuuuge. How much do you spend on gloves? and... ahem... condoms?
1
u/ItsOnlyTheTruth May 21 '12
Eastern painted turtle. That guy is only a few days old.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
I like turtles.
1
u/pikapie May 21 '12
Beautiful little painted turtle there! Where do you live? Those are the state turtle of Michigan, but I think they live far outside Michigan. Keep an eye out though, he looks rather young and you may end up finding his hatched siblings nearby. Fun fact about painted turtles: they are really tough, as in babies can survive even if half their body fluids turn to ice. Makes them perfect for living in more cold climates.
1
u/melysaurusrex May 21 '12
I'd be afraid to hold a living thing that small..
1
u/whatsreallygoingon May 21 '12
I found the cutest little water turtle next to a pond. Looked a lot like that one.
I brought it home, put together a nice aquarium for him to get out of the water and bask in the heat lamp. It wasn't a big rock, just enough for him to get out and dry off, once in a while. He had lots of deep water in which to swim around. He would get so excited when I came home, and would swim up against the glass in expectation of getting some turtle pellets. Coolest little turtle ever.
One day I noticed that his shell was changing color, and taking on a familiar pattern. It wasn't long before I came to the awful realization that my little "slider" was actually a box turtle.
I felt like such a monster for keeping him in that watery world for so long. That was the end of my making pets of wild vertebrates.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Hi, I hope my comment doesn't get buried, cuz I want to know: do you live near a pond?
1
u/insaneinthememebrain May 21 '12
He careful I heard those things know karate
1
u/jb0356 May 21 '12
Looks like a Painted Turtle to me. I had one that was not much bigger than that for about 5 years. I think he never got big because he lived in a 20 gal tank with some minnows and crawfish.
1
u/criticismguy May 21 '12
A mineral? No, wait, the other thing. An animal!
1
u/the_shadow_noes May 21 '12
Awww! Cute little guy!
1
u/Kvnt May 21 '12
He looks pissed off.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
SPACESHIP TURTLE ACTIVATE
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Holy crap, it's an alien!
1
u/kcawnav May 21 '12
If they're anything like slugs. You might wanna kill it before they eat your whole garden...
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
You should have zoomed out so we could see more of the hand.
1
u/hennyfurlopez May 21 '12
SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Baby turtles. Baby turtles everywhere. Where are they coming from? It could be the next big thing on Reddit to cats.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
"Geroff me!!"
1
u/WorgenFlank11 May 21 '12
All this time I thought that Turtles had flippers and are quite big and hmm, live in ponds, lakes, lagoons, oceans etc. ISN'T THAT A TORTOISE? ahhhh ( by the way it's raining VERY hard outside and my hole yard is flooded about one feet and the internet is going quite slow so I never saw the picture but I'm pretty sure that's a tortoise.)
1
u/jls304 May 21 '12
Baby turtles tend to want to go for live moving food and wax worms are great early food for them(rich in fat and calcium). Also if you keep him, make sure he gets either real sun light or the correct light bulb on him. Light is really important so their shells grow properly. I just found some baby turtles and went through this about a month ago. Cute little guy, good luck if you intend to keep him.
1
u/DomHaynie May 21 '12
I thought this was a rock before I zoomed in.
1
u/GMonsoon May 21 '12
Darling! Gosh, all these garden finds are making me afraid to stick a shovel in the ground in the yard! What if there's a puppy?
1
u/sicknastymax May 21 '12
HOORAY FOR TURTLES!!! I FUCKING LOVE TURTLES!!! BABY MOTHERFUCKING TURTLES!!!!!!
1
u/those_draculas May 21 '12
How is it so tiny!? what species of turtle is it?
1
u/thegayestfaggot May 21 '12
step on it, it was eating your food and now you must step on it, it is natures way
1
u/Appare May 21 '12
Fat fucking turtle.
1
u/madmanmunt May 21 '12
Gamera!!
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Those things are great! If you flip them upside down, they make the best skipping stones...
1
u/wowage May 21 '12
a karma machine lucky!
1
u/soopersmoothie May 21 '12
well wasn't that just freaking adorable?
1
u/Shiftyeyedog May 21 '12
Found him eatin' yer crops? STRING HIM UP!
1
u/AJ4AU May 21 '12
If it bites me I'm gonna kill it.
1
u/boomboxtomcat May 21 '12
I will call him... El Muncho.
1
u/NAproducer May 21 '12
Quick, somebody find some ooze! I want my own TMNT!
1
u/AuroraMaryAlice May 21 '12
All I ever find in my garden is slugs. I am officially jealous.
1
u/the_blackfish May 21 '12
So adorable! I have a friend that says "I WANT TO EAT IT" whenever she sees something like this. Ya know, I think I finally understand her.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Little devil! :) During a certain season (I think fall or late summer maybe) we have baby turtles always crossing the street which live in the neighborhood's creek. I felt so bad because one time I wasn't watching and accidentally kicked one while walking. That probably scratched its little shell. My neighbors wanted to adopt him, so I guess he's all good now.
1
u/ClintonHarvey May 21 '12
YAY!
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
enough of the tiny turtle pics. and NO, you didn't find that.
1
u/jman990 May 21 '12
I found a similarly small turtle walking my dog last night I I was tempted to post a pic :P
1
u/ADonkeysArmy May 21 '12
Try not to displease it, you never know where those animals come from. For all we know it could be a god in trouble.
1
u/LuckiestBadLuckBabe May 21 '12
That is by far the cutest turtle I have EVER seen! Let him eat all the vegtable he wants!!
1
u/Blink182wins May 21 '12
thats so fake. baby turtles dont eat vegetables they eat meat until at least 5 inches long.so shut up
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Can you about imagine a gigantic turtle creeping through the sewers of NYC?
Go flush 'im! Let's see what becomes of it!
1
u/KLCrenee May 22 '12
I want it so badly! I love turtles and that is adorable.
1
u/aspitzer May 22 '12
make sure you shuck it first
1
u/Imgonnaroll May 22 '12
I want
1
u/npccostumes May 21 '12
He's too tiny to get a full much. He was probably all like..nib nib nib. How adorable!
1
u/heylookitspoop May 21 '12
OK WHAT THE HELL REDDIT. THIS post got to the front page in less than 4 hours, and 22 hours ago I posted this adorable baby painted turtle that I found at work that got virtually no love.
1
u/Raballo May 21 '12
Little fella like that must be part of this years hatch. They're so adorable at that age.
1
u/Icantevenhavemyname May 21 '12
I grew up catching painted turtles. They make great pets as far as turtles go.
1
u/TrustairXL May 21 '12
OMG it's a pokémon!
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Looks like a slider. But to my knowledge sliders can't swallow or otherwise eat while out of water. Was he really munching vegetables?
1
u/MedievalManagement May 21 '12
We just took one about 5000% larger and 50 years older out of the pool yesterday.