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I know and have read of the type of animals that you wouldn't want to have in or on your lawn, but none of them include reptiles. I want to keep the turtle until I can find a suitable home for it, but I don't want to put it inside a glass box. Would it be ok on my lawn?

Stephie
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Hamid Sabir
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  • Bring it in = just release it on the property or put it in some kind of enclosure? – Stephie Mar 25 '19 at 21:29
  • Have you identified the kind of turtle? Are you at least somewhat familiar with what it needs to thrive? How long do you suspect you will keep it until it can move to it’s final home? Are you familiar with the local laws re. keeping what may be an endangered species in captivity in your locale? (Sorry, not all of these topics are related to your question, but maybe still worth thinking about.) – Stephie Mar 25 '19 at 21:36
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    Check to determine if is a turtle or a tortoise. They need very different care. AND depending where you are it may be endangered/protected, so proceed with caution. – Tim Nevins Mar 25 '19 at 21:37
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    Warning, British/American English differences here! In British English "turtle" only means chelonians that live (mainly or partly) in water. Those that live entirely on land are "tortoises". – alephzero Mar 26 '19 at 00:02
  • Reminder: this is Gardening SE and **answers should focus on the core question (lawns and turtles)** - which is quite interesting, imho. If more discussion in the comment section about the animal itself ensues, either take it to [chat] or I will move it to a separate chat room. – Stephie Mar 26 '19 at 07:35
  • also take care to wash your hands if you handle it. Turtles/Tortoises can carry salmonella: https://www.turtleholic.com/turtles-carry-salmonella/ – That Idiot Mar 26 '19 at 15:08
  • @stephie_ yes your right in bringing up all those questions. To start, even though im no expert on turtles, im certain that it's one of those local species. The type that I've seen kept as pets. Secondly, i don't know how long I'll be keeping it. I've talked to a few people, nobody wants it so i guess i may have to leave it somewhere far from roads and civilization. Lastly, it's not a sea turtle. So i guess that makes it a tortoise. – Hamid Sabir Mar 27 '19 at 15:29

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If it is a tortoise leave it alone , I have a couple that wander through the yard from time to time. The only thing I have see them eat is flowers laying on the ground. They have laid eggs here a couple times . If a turtle . toss it into the nearest water ( be very careful if it is a snapping turtle ( common in southern US). And , for the US it is too early for turtles to be out laying eggs.

blacksmith37
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  • thanks. I guess it'll lend me a hand in keeping my lawn clear. Does it pee though? Im only asking is because dogs urine is known to cause great damage to ones lawn. – Hamid Sabir Mar 27 '19 at 15:34
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Before getting to know about the compatibility between the turtle and your garden, I would check your local laws about keeping a wild animal, since it is ilegal in many places to remove an animal from the wild and take it home.

After that, and only if it is legal, I would first identify the species that you found, since its preferences can vary greatly depending on what species it is. You might need a pond in your garden to keep it healthy, or maybe not. Also, it may have some diseases that may be transmitted to your plants (fungus) or other garden animals.

And of course, if the well being of your garden is greatly important to you, keep in mind that most likely, the turtle feeds of vegetables, so it might eat your plants/fruits.

A.T.
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  • Thanks and it's a tortoise. I didn't know which one was which. Btw, assuming that it was a sea turtle, would i had to feed it fish food? – Hamid Sabir Mar 27 '19 at 15:37
  • @HamidSabir If it is a sea turtle you won't be able to keep it in your lawn, it will die. But in terms of diet, it depends on the turtle species that it is. Some eat fish and crustaceans, other species eat seaweed and plants... You should identify the species you took, otherwise, you will most likely kill it due to bad diet and bad environment. – A.T. Mar 27 '19 at 15:41