How can we take care of a baby snapping turtle in a college dorm?

It has been a long time since I took care of a baby snapping turtle, but I remember that we stabbed flies with toothpicks, broke off the point of the toothpick so it wasn’t too sharp and then held it in front of the turtle to get it to eat it. I’m sure others can add more tips, but I would suggest that you don’t try to keep it in a college dorm, I’d call the local wild animal life authorities or shelter. Reasons for not keeping it:
1) You are in college, a baby snapping turtle needs round the clock care.
2) I imagine it is against the rules to keep it in your dorm, you don’t want to get kicked out.
3) Turtles carry disease just like other wild animals, you could get very sick, if you aren’t very careful about cleanliness.
4) It is a snapping turtle, not a good choice as a pet long term, so it would be better if it could be returned to the wild where it can lead the life of a wild snapping turtle.

I admire your desire to protect the turtle, but it would probably be best not in your care.

Set him Free!!!! Free Willie the Snapping turtle! Set him free, set him free!

Set him free!!!!!!
I agree…set Willie the Snapping Turtle free, take him to the pond and set him free. Snapping turtles won’t stay little forever….......they can and will get dangerous. Or take him to the humane society, they will take care of it and give him to the proper authorities to set him back out into the wild.

Willie the snapping turtle deserves to be freeeeeeeeeeeeee !

Give it to the girls in the dorm.

They love to take care of animals.

I saw one cuddling a Hedgehog, once.

Jack—I got your hedgehog—right here!

joking

Who wears their watch like in that picture?

http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/944.html

Snappers are VERY hard to take care of. They don’t do well in captivity. I’d suggest putting him back in the water near the banks, ideally a bank that has some froggies living on it. He could easily have been too cold and therefore lethargic.

Its commendable that you wanted to save him, but human interaction with these guys is a pretty bad idea.

PS: Don’t put him in tap water, its chlorinated.

Chlorinated water can cause a turtle to go BLIND and that is not a joke.

The poor little guy needs to be put back in his environment. He somehow got lost and needs to find his way home. They are adorable – and we once found one in our driveway, but after some research we realized we needed to bring it back to the wetlands/water that is near us.

Here’s some more info: http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Turtles/messages/1817907.html

I agree with the others. Put him back. I wear my watch that way

scamp: My dad does too. :) He says it was cool when he was a kid and it keeps him from getting it caught on things when he’s working.

@delirium My daughter bought me a watch a few years ago and the band is a little loose. the wieght of the face makes it go to my wrist, so I just gave in and left it there. Like your Dad, I think it keeps me from banging it into things.

I wear my watch that way if I am in a meeting and bored to tears…..and wanting to know how much longer I may be forced to endure the torture.

Put the turtle back where it was found and let nature take its course. Either way.

Unless you can find a rescue or a zoo that would be willing to take it in, you should let it go. All I needed to see was college dorm and I could tell you guys are probably not equipped to handle a snapper (no offense).

My mom always wore her watch like that. She was an RN and they wore them that way to make taking a pulse easier.

I love how this has become about watches! I’ll try to find a pic of my dad wearing his…

We put him back in the wild, by a waterfall on campus.

@ezraglenn
I think your heart was in the right place, which is admirable. I also think you did the right thing.

Yeah Snappy Turtle is freeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! Run Snappy run!!!!

@ezraglenn….......You did a wonderful thing!

There are some places you can take hurt animals & they will take care of them and release them in their own part of land so they can be safe, and if they really wanna leave, they can, free too.

Three cheers for ezraglenn !!! You are a scholar and a gentleman…literally!!

Let the animal go in to the wildeness to see if it can found the way where has been born.

You mean see if it can find it’s path?

Hahaha, that’s a cute notion, pathfinder, but not an accurate one with species like this.

it isnt such a good idea to keep one when ur in college i have one rite now and it needs constant attention so if u cant give it that then u shold take it to a source of water like a pond, lake, river, etc. and let it go but if u really want to keep it then u shold try feeding it dried shrimp, dried krill, floating food sticks, ham, egg and sometimes it eats water olants like lettcue

thank u cause u just gave great info cause i got two hand is to full