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Whenever I went on vacation I used to take her with me... Nelson Ledges-Ohio, 10KL - MInnesotta, Gathering of the Vibes- CT, All GOod- WV, and neighborhood strolls in nyc- upper west side. There was a RES friendly lake in Ohio so I put her in and let her swim around... is it wrong for taking her back home or am i supposed to let her free... because i do not want to. I would rather not let her swim in these bodies of water if that means i have to let her go... is that wrong??? I kow its selfish but she is soo small, i do not want to let her go, but i do want her to experience a natural habitat. (and i can not afford a pond... just yet)
Mikee- girl- 1year ago at nelson ledges ohio

It's better not to handle them unnecessarily. You risk losing/injuring them and you will just stress them out.

thankx steve, i figured they wouldn't like being placed in a nice habitat to going back home to a tank. it is always best to ask than assume right?

I just re-read your post... but I'm not sure I understand. You took her from a lake or you are letting her swim in one?

You have a captive turtle, so it should never be released into the wild. Just try to give her the best possible setup, that's all any of us can do.

I was letting her swim in one

I think she'd be happiest just staying in her own tank all the time. They typically don't like to be moved around too much. She could get sick if you keep her out of her tank and expose her to temperature changes and wild environments.

I'm surprised if you put her in a lake that she came back to you. Your turtle is not a puppy, you don't get to take them on vacation. It is incredibly stressful for the turtle, and they can get sick and die. Captive turtles don't need to experience nature, just give her the best tank you can. For most people here, the only natural experience their turtles get is a brief wander in their yard. I wouldn't recommend you allow your turtle in ponds again. Eventually she will swim away and not come back.

Simply put, no.

You're risking quite a bit by doing this.
1. Your turtle could run away.
2. The constant change in temperature and environment will be stressful and can lead to illness and death.
3. You're introducing him to all kinds of foreign germs, any number of which could kill him.
4. You're introducing germs from him to native turtles, which could kill them.

Turtles are more of a "one-place" pet. They don't appreciate being uprooted from one area to the next frequently. It's safer to keep him in his tank while you travel.

thanx guys... if i wouldn't have asked i would have been taking the girls out all summer long.