Urgent! What do I do with a turtle?

[Wade Lippman]

Yeah, I am sure they taste like chicken, but besides that...

I am in upstate NY, and found a 6" turtle in my lawn, just before I mowed him up.
There are lots of turtles in a large creek 10 miles south of here, but I have never seen any around here.
I can toss him in the lake, but that doesn't seem too bright, since there is no undeveloped land around here.
Or I can put him in a gully that usually only has water in it after rain.

Any other ideas?

He might have come from the ditch across the street, but I can't see much future for him there.

[Harold Burrell]

Wow...you are a way better man than I. I would have just mowed around him and let him go.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

is it a water turtle, or a land turtle?

I would put him back where you found him, then leave him alone.

[David Weaver]

I'd put him back in the yard and let him continue on his way.

[Matt Meiser]

Soup......

[Wade Lippman]

Looks like a snapping turtle, though all turtles look pretty much the same to me.
They live (apparently) in ponds and creeks, but there aren't any for miles.

Two weeks ago my 26 year old son found a dead newt in the lake. He buried it. I wonder where he gets that from.

[Phil Thien]

Take him to your local Humane Society, and ask them to place him where he belongs or would have the best chance of survival?

Check w/ neighbors and see if anyone is missing a pet turtle?

[Wade Lippman]

Take him to your local Humane Society, and ask them to place him where he belongs or would have the best chance of survival?

Check w/ neighbors and see if anyone is missing a pet turtle?

Humane Society is about 50 miles away and my wife has the car. He went in the gully; he didn't stop trying to climb out of the bin he was in, and I was afraid if I didn't free him quickly it would be too late. That is where he must have come from, I suppose. Wikipedia says they make terrible pets.

[Rick Moyer]

How far is the lake? I'd put him near there.

[Leo Graywacz]

Let him be. He got there on his own, he'll manage.

[Harold Burrell]

Looks like a snapping turtle...

If you want to know for sure, just put your finger close to his mouth.

[Doug Ladendorf]

We see turtles now and then. Usually box turtles like this guy:

box-turtles1.jpg

But sometimes they are snappers and much bigger:

wwsnapperlg.jpg

Either way I'd leave him alone.

[Shawn Pixley]

Either turtle or tortise, relocate him to a wilderness area if there isn't a reptile or turtle rescue group around.