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Did you find a box turtle and think it would be a fun pet, but now you’re regretting it? Or maybe you found one crossing the street and picked it up to protect it, but you don’t really want to keep it? On the other hand, maybe you’ve had your pet for years but don’t have time for it anymore?
Whatever your reason for not wanting to keep your turtle, you might be wondering where—or if—you can release it back into the wild.
The answer depends partly on how you got it, how long you’ve had it and whether you know exactly where it came from.
Releasing Wild-Caught Box Turtles
These can usually be released back into the wild …
BUT! …
Only if you’ve only had him for a short time. And only if you put him back where you found him.
To a box turtle, home is where he was born. And they will always try to go back home, even years later and no matter where they were moved to. So if you can’t put him back where he came from, he could get injured or killed trying to get there. Probably not the freedom you wanted for your pet.
If you’ve had your turtle for a long time, he also may no longer be able to survive in the wild, even if that’s where he came from. Even if you’ve tried to feed your turtle right and keep him healthy, he might not have the nutrient stores he needs to make it through the winter. Winter and hibernation are hard enough on wild turtles. Many don’t make it through, and it’s even less likely that your pet will make it.
Also, even though box turtles have instincts for hunting for food and finding hiding places to escape from heat, find humidity or get away from predators, one you’ve had in captivity for years may not have strong enough instincts to do these things well. A long-time pet is more likely to get sick and die or be killed by predators.
Releasing Captive-Bred Box Turtles
These should never be released into the wild. They’ve never had to survive on their own and are unlikely to be able to do so. Especially if the kind of box turtle you have is not native to your area.
In many places it’s also illegal. Captive box turtles may carry bacteria or other germs that don’t harm them or you but could be dangerous to other wild box turtles. And if yours is a non-native turtle, it also shouldn’t be allowed to breed with the native population. In most of the US, box turtle populations are endangered enough. They don’t need your pet possibly adding to their problems.
What Can You Do With a Box Turtle You Don’t Want?
Find her a new home. There are a lot of people who would love a box turtle! Ask friends and family if they or someone they know would like her. If a local pet store sells box turtles, they may be able to help, although they will probably not sell it for you. A herp society may also be able to help you find a good home.
Make Sure You Follow Local Laws
Some states, especially those where box turtles are native, regulate both possession and transfer of box turtles. In some it is illegal to take box turtles from the wild. Once you have a box turtle, no matter where you got it, it may also be illegal to return it to the wild.
Some states require a special permit to keep even one box turtle. If you give your turtle to someone living in one of these states, that person must apply for a permit or add your turtle to the permit they already have.
Make sure you check your state laws before you do anything with your box turtle.
All these rules might make you want to just go back to your original idea to let your turtle go in the wild. But remember what we discussed above. Releasing him could be a death sentence for your turtle, and possibly for other wild turtles in the area. 
If you cared enough about your pet to keep him safe before, please continue to keep him and his relatives safe: Find him a suitable new home.
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I found a small female box turtle 1 week ago crossing a road. Worried she might get run over by a car I stopped and picked her up,
unaware that they are protected in some areas and also in decline as well.
I also have a 4 year old living in my home whom will not let her stay burrowed, etc. I want to take her back to her home and release her back and am concerned if it has been too long after a week.
I need to know if you think releasing her back where I found her will be okay. I want her to going back to “Her Home” not some new home. I wish I had known more about these turtles before I picked her up assuming I was helping her.
Please advise me. I feel her wild instincts have not been compromised after just 1 week. She is still bright eyed and active with and outside outing daily for sunshine and exercise.
One week should be fine to still release her. And definitely bring her back where you found her. If you remember which side of the road she was heading for, put her there. That’s where she wants to be and she’ll most likely try to cross the road again if you put her on the side she was coming from.
And don’t be too hard on yourself! You had the right idea … getting her out of the road is helping. But next time, just bring her to the side of the road where she was heading, out of the way of cars.
Thanks for caring enough to help keep a little boxie alive!
i honestly dont know what to do, this turtle was given to me as a “gift” and i feed it each day but it just looks so lonely and as i just found out my stupid maid is cleaning its box in an abusive horrible way, what can i do?! I dont want this poor thing to live in pain
If this turtle has been in captivity for a long time, then releasing it is not a good idea.
If you want to keep it, read up on how to care for it. Check out the rest of this site and also:
You can also find more information by Googling “box turtle care”.
You’ll also need to tell your maid not to clean the turtle’s home. Or teach your maid how to clean it. I’d probably opt to do it myself so I was sure it was being done right.
If you don’t want to keep it, there are some rescue organizations that specialize in reptiles. And a few that don’t specialize in them but will accept them. Google “turtle rescue” or “turtle rescue near me” or add your city and/or state to the “turtle rescue” search. If you can’t find any near you, try contacting one or more of the ones you do find to see if they can help you find a way to get the turtle to a safe place.
You might also try asking in some turtle forums, like the American Box Turtle section of Tortoise Forum. IF you Google “tortoise forum” you can find more.
Hope this helps!
We live on a busy road, and I found the turtle crossing my drive way parallel to the road… I did not want to just move it out the way, as It would be really easy for someone to smoosh him flying down the road. Also, the weather is about to get horrendous, lots of rain and really cold. I took him in for the night… should I just put him in the back yard tomorrow even if it’s freezing and raining non stop?
Hi Claire,
It’s really easy to feel sorry for these little guys, isn’t it? Especially when the weather’s nasty. But they do live outside quite successfully, and in all kinds of weather.
My only concern is when you say freezing. Do you mean literally freezing? Because that’s too cold for him, and he should already have been hibernating. If you just mean colder than you’d like, do put him back outside to get on with his life. Although if you can wait until the rain passes that would be nice. If not, try putting him in a protected area, like under a bush.
If it’s actually freezing in your area, he might be a pet that someone let go. See if any of the shelters/rescue organizations in your area will take a turtle. Or contact a wildlife rehabber to see if they can help.
Good luck, and thanks for caring about our turtles!
Yesterday my brother found a tiny baby box turtle (about 2 inches) in our garage while he was doing some work in there. So we took him inside because it seemed too cold for him to stay out there and unsafe. We were planning to care for him but it’s illegal to here. I tried finding some rehabilitation centers in our area (Savannah), but no luck. Where should we release him and how? Since we don’t know where his original home is and we live in a community with a lot of houses, I worry he’ll get ran over. Or because he’s so small he’ll freeze or starve. We’ve thought about releasing him in the woodsy area down the street because it would make sense that that would be his home. But now I’m worried he might get hurt returning to his real home! Help!
Hi Susan,
I’m not sure what the best answer is for you 🙁 Like you, I worry it’s too cold for a baby outside, and by January he should have been hibernating already. But since he was out & about, maybe it’s been warm enough that he has stayed active this whole time. Or possibly he was hibernating and woke up because there was a stretch of warm days? That can happen.
I wish it wasn’t illegal to keep them in Georgia & you could keep him until it warms up. Since that’s not possible, I think I would bring him to the wooded area you mentioned. It does seem likely that’s where he came from. It’s also probably the best place for him to find a good place to dig in and hibernate again if necessary. If there’s a spot with deep leaf litter and/or some kind of shelter, consider putting him there.
Thank you for caring about a little box turtle. I wish I had a better answer for you.
We rescued 3 exposed box turtle eggs and after keeping the environment suitable they all three hatched. We have raised them inside for fear that they would not survive the winter being so small, but would really like to release them. They have never been in the wild. Will they know how to find food?
Hi Anita,
Baby turtles are born knowing how to find food and survive. But I’m not really sure how being kept in captivity affects this ability. I know organizations do raise babies to give them a head start, but they try to keep the turtles’ environment as natural as possible. Is there a wildlife rehabber near you who might be able to give you a better answer? We have some tips on finding one here: https://www.boxturtleworld.com/box-turtle-care/how-to-find-wildlife-rehabilitators/
i didn’t know taking a box turtle from the side of the road caused so much damage and i found a box turtle on the road the other day i want to put it back but i forgot where i found it what should i do so it doesn’t get hurt???
🙁 I’m not sure, but the best I can suggest is to put it as close to where you found it as possible. Try to remember, at least the approximate place you found it. What street? What was nearby? Thinking about where you were coming from/going might help jog your memory.
Good luck! 🙂
Hello. I found an eastern box turtle (guessing no more than 3 years old by the size) crossing a busy road in Atlanta. I took it home with the intention of releasing it close to where i found it. I’d read somewhere that they only range around within a mile of birth in their lifetimes. However, when I returned to the area in the direction the little one came from/was heading to, there was no suitable habitat. no area of forest or water source, just houses with a lots of fenced-in yards. I suppose it was an escapee from a pet owner? Don’t know for sure, but think it would be a death sentence to let it go in that area. Would its young age, perhaps, make it more amenable to relocation? I know several spots in this area with decent sized populations of the same species. Thanks for your time
Hi Hunter,
Obviously I can’t know for sure, but it doesn’t have to be an escaped pet just because it was in an area with lots of homes. In recent years experts have realized these guys can and do live in these areas. Fences don’t really stop them from wandering. And even if you didn’t see an obvious source of water, there could be an area where water pools after rain & that might be big enough & last long enough to keep the turtle happy. Someone might even have a vegetable garden it likes to raid for stuff like tomatoes that have a high moisture content.
In the wild there are no guarantees no matter what you do. And I’m not sure at what age they become fixated on finding their home if they are moved. If it was me I think I’d let it go where I found it.
I need your best advice for my situation please. In early March (Atlanta area) a hatching emerged from it’s hole next to our house, but the temperature was going to be 29 degrees that night. This was after about two weeks of nice warm weather. I took it in and had a plan to release it before this fall after it grew a few inches over the summer. Well, three weeks later, another one surfaced in the same hole! It was still too cold, so I took this one in as well. Since then, we saw 5 more. One was dead, about 20 feet from the hole, and the other 4, I brought to a stream that leads to a pond in our neighborhood (we have about 4 ponds), because it was warm enough. My husband convinced me to keep these first two as pets, but now that he sees the cost of a 100 gallon aquarium, he is telling me to release them – 4 months after I took them in. Has it been a short enough amount of time for them to still acclimate to being wild turtles? I have been feeding them frozen aquatic greens and blood worms. They have had appropriate UVA and UVB lighting, and will not have missed a season of hibernation as of yet. Please help me know the best course of action.
Hi Christine,
I’m not entirely sure how long is too long to keep a turtle before it’s too late to release it. I think yours would be ok, but I would suggest contacting a wildlife rehabilitator to see what they think. And if it has been too long, a rehabber may also be able to help you find another home for them if you can’t keep them. We have links to help you find one on our How to Find Wildlife Rehabilitators page Good luck, and thanks for wanting to do what’s best for the little guys.
Hello, I live in northern IL and i have a hockey rink in my back yard which is consists of a 2×10 square frame which is 48’ x 96’. This time if where it tends to get weedy depending how often i mow it. A couple weeks ago i found a decent sized what i believe to be a box turtle in inside the frame. I think someone put the turtle in the rink because I don’t believe it could crawl over the 10” board on its own. I have no idea where it came from. Any suggestions on what to do with it?
Hi Jason,
You’d be surprised at how well turtles can climb, so it may very well be a wild turtle. That said, if you’re concerned, you might want to contact a wildlife rehabber who may be able to take it or know someone who can. We have some tips on finding a wildlife rehabber here.
Thanks for caring about your unexpected visitor!
Thank you for the information.
We have a box turle that stays in the flower garden. Burrows under the mulch. Moves from front to back flower gardens. We have trees and a little stream behind us. He disappears for days and then reappears in the back or front flower garden.
I thought he would migrate on somewhere. How does it.know where to return to band why hasn’t it moved on.
How will I know if it decides to hibernate here.
Hi Linda,
How cool! Box turtles have a small range where they live & wander. Apparently yours has decided your yard is part of his (or hers!). Lucky you.
Unless you see it actually digging a burrow for hibernation you probably won’t know if it has decided to do that in your yard.
I’m doing research on eastern box turtles. My teacher wants me to use “primary sources of information”. Can you tell me where I can find a scientific paper, maybe your source of information for the following statement on your site:
“To a box turtle, home is where he was born. And they will always try to go back home, even years later and no matter where they were moved to. ”
Thank you,
Victor
Hi Victor, try these 2 to start: The Box Turtle: Room with a View on Species Decline and Effects of Relocation on Movements and Home Ranges of Eastern Box Turtles
While walking dog along hay field in western Oregon, i found three towed box turtle walking across headed toward busy hey.
I took it home not knowing what kind of turtle. Through pics, the Fish & Wildlife biologist be ID as Southwestern 3toed & instructed me to NOT release it.
I was hoping to get it back to it’s native turf & release – is there an organization that can help me do that? I don’t know it’s history but she is very active & wants out of pen.
Hi Karen,
Unfortunately I’m not aware of any reptile rescues or sanctuaries in Oregon. There is an organization in North Carolina that accepts surrendered pets from anywhere in the country. I’m not sure if it will help in your situation, but it may be worth contacting them. It’s Midgard Serpents Reptile Rescue & Sanctuary. At the very least they may have some other ideas to help you find a better home for the turtle.
A box turtle was in our yard and dug a hole and we believe laid eggs. She’s hanging around and we gave her some food (lettuce, apples). She took the apple slice right from my hand and is not retreating into her shell (does not seem frightened by us). Is this a sign that she could be someone’s pet that has gotten out? We are presuming because she laid eggs she is wild and we should leave her to it but want to be sure?
Thank you, Jen
Hi Jen! I can’t say for sure, of course, but she’s probably wild & just used to people! I’ve seen lots of stories of people who had the same box turtle visit them every summer for years. Sometimes the turtles even come up to the back door waiting for food (well, I suppose we can’t really be sure that’s what they’re doing, but they take the food when offered!). Box turtles are apparently surprisingly good at living even in urban areas, so finding one doesn’t mean its an escaped pet. And if she’s been living around people without any negative interaction with them she probably has no reason to be scared of you. If it was me I’d just enjoy her for as long as she chooses to stick around.
So a friend of mine a few years ago found a baby box turtle right in the middle of winter. It definitely should’ve been hibernating by then so my friend took it in to care for it until it warmed back up. The issue here was that when it did finally warm back up enough to be released, it had been close to three months and the turtle seemed to not want to leave. It was obvious that the turtle had become used to captivity and actually seemed to want to stay. I will say the turtle is always very active and does seem happy and healthy. It will even walk right up to the door of the enclosure when someone enters the room. I’m not sure if maybe the turtle was originally someone’s pet before it was found by my friend but it seems that could be the case. All that being said, my friend had to keep it. So for threeish years now he has had it, but can no longer care for it and has asked me to take it in. We are certain that it is an eastern box turtle which is technically illegal to own where I live. And that is why I write to this page. Of course I want to obey the laws of having animals where I live, but at the same time there is no way this turtle could be released to the wild again. And on top of that, the turtle would definitely not have made it through the winter that it was found in. I am torn because where I would love to have a box turtle of my own, i again want to obey the laws here. Any suggestions on what I could do to both obey laws and ensure a happy healthy life for this little guy?
Hi Ben! Thanks for wanting to make sure your friend’s boxie will keep having a happy healthy life. If it’s illegal to own one where you live, then it’s probably not a good idea for you to take it. But there are rescues & sanctuaries around the country that may be able to help. But sometimes it can take time. We have a page with listings of places that may be able to help. It’s organized by state. Some will only help with turtles in their state & others may help with a few states. And there’s one listed at the beginning that will accept turtles from anywhere in the country. Check it out here: When You can’t keep your box turtle. I hope you’re able to find a good place for the little guy.
Okay cool! I will check out some of those places and see what I can come up with. I love reptiles so I am a bit sad I cannot keep it. However I would rather obey the laws and still him have the life he needs to be happy and healthy! Thanks so much!
You’re welcome.
Hello, a few weeks ago my dog brought a box turtle in the house. I put him back outside, but this time in the front yard. The next day my dog brought him back in. After reading up a bit and learning that they should never be moved, I placed him on the other side of the fence in my neighbors yard. Well this turtle is very persistent and today my dog brought him back in ( I know it was the same one because I marked his shell) , this time there was some blood around the turtle’s shell so my dog got a little bit of him. What should I do with the turtle? I don’t want to move him but I also don’t want my dog to hurt him.
Hi Michelle!
Yes, boxies can be very stubborn & persistent little turtles. Unfortunately that sometimes makes it a choice between moving them or letting them get hurt. Is there a wildlife rehabber near you who might be able to help? Both with finding your guest a safer place to live and making sure it’s not hurt more than is obvious. We have tips on finding a rehabber here. Or a reptile vet can check it for injuries and might (might!) know of a rehabber. Sorry I can’t be more help.
I helped 2 baby box turtles emerge from the area where their mom lay their eggs this Spring. These two are exceptionally small. I have them in a box with dirt, water, grass , a hiding place and a strawberry and tomato and an earthworm. I want to release them back into the woods where I know their mother lives. How long can I help them get a little bigger and stronger before I release them. We have many box turtles and we see them all spring, so our area is great for them. I do not want to do harm to them, I just want to try to help. It is mid September and I know they will be hibernating soon. I want to do what is best for them. I was just thinking if I help them for a few weeks that they may survive. Please give me some guidance.
Hi Sharon,
I really have no experience with releasing babies you’ve kept in captivity for months. A wildlife rehabber would be a better person to answer this. We have some info on how to find a rehabber near you here: https://www.boxturtleworld.com/box-turtle-care/how-to-find-wildlife-rehabilitators/ Hope this helps!
I have a pet turtle she’s very young. She was given to me because the family didn’t want her anymore they had her for over 4 years. Anyways she got outside last night and I can’t find her. How can I find her?
Hi a eastern box turtle came to my house about a month ago. Hes healthy has/ getting over what looks like a respiratory infection ( muscus in eye ). Ive been treating with cod liver oil to sucess . my concern is it maybe to late to release him back. As weather fluxed back n forth as well as him not being fully recovered. Also how this may be affecting his hibernation. Its eaten a few times seaweed mostly. Allows me to hold him with no stress . Kinda looking for a direction to . interventive care disrupts wildlife or turns them to pets
Hi James,
I can’t really give specific advice here, since I don’t know where you are, and I know more about pet boxies than wild ones. But I would also be concerned with letting a box turtle back into the wild this late in the season. Especially one that’s not fully healthy. I would suggest you try to find a wildlife rehabber in your area who’s familiar with turtles. We have some tips on finding wildlife rehabbers here. If you’re in/near Virginia contact Box Turtle Sanctuary of Central Virginia. Shelley may be able to help.
We are renters in a home in the southwest. A desert box turtle(native) has lived in the backyard of this home since 1999. The current owners are not the same people who put the turtle there in 1999. We have dogs and while the turtle and the dog got along for several years, the dog has now discovered that turtle is a fun toy so we have to keep them separated. The next tenants also have dogs but we’re not sure if they will be able to keep their dogs away from the turtles like we have. The turtle has lived here so long but has not been treated like a pet. She fends for herself and while we fill up her water bowl as there’s no natural source of water in the backyard, she finds her own food except for the occasional blueberry. We are looking into rehoming her for her own safety. I’ve read that a turtle will continue to look for their home for their whole life, but I’m assuming she wasn’t born in the backyard so will that situation apply here? Will she be extremely depressed if we move her? Do you think she could fend for herself in the actual wild or should we find another backyard for her? I just feel like these guys live so long that eventually this problem will happen again for her down the line.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for caring about the safety of your “inherited” boxie! I do agree that the situation seems like a recipe for eventual problems. Since she’s lived there for so many years I suspect it is part of her home range & if you just move her to another yard nearby she’ll be trying to get home. And they’re good at digging, so she’d probably find a way out! But since she’s been free to come & go this whole time, making her a true pet would be cruel. Maybe see if there’s a reptile rescue and/or sanctuary near you? We have a listing of reptile rescues here. If not, maybe talk to a wildlife rehabber who may have additional ideas, or may know of a rescue we don’t have listed. Good luck!
Thanks for your advice! Our local wildlife sanctuary took her in and, to our surprise, released her into the wild a couple days later. It’s a beautiful spot and we went a couple days later to “say goodbye” to her even though she was already lost out there, hopefully thriving and living a full life (crossing our fingers).
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know.
I am really hoping you can help me. My wife works at a gas station and someone dumped a glass tank and what I think is about a 15 year old box turtle in one of their dumpsters. We rescue and rehome animals constantly but we are just a lil lost. We dont know the sex as its eyes are kinda gunky with some white fluid which we gently wiped off. We dont know if it was bred captive but we assume not as the tank wouldnt have been suitable. It appears someone found it and tried to make it a pet and gave up and decided it was better off dead in a dumpster, which pisses me off. Do we; A. Try to take care of it or rehome at least until after winter, or ;B find a suitable location to release it. Im not a rich man but I wont let this poor baby suffer. Please help my tiny turtle friend.
With hope,
Donovan
Hi Donovan,
I’m so sorry I didn’t see this until now. Please don’t release the turtle without at least having it checked out first. If it’s sick it may not survive. And just because the tank isn’t suitable doesn’t mean it wasn’t captive bred. Someone could have bought it and regretted it. See if you can find a reptile vet near you. If you don’t feel equipped to care for this little turtle, a wildlife rehabber may be able to help. We have tips on finding one here. We also have a page listing turtle sanctuaries & rescues around the country. I’m not sure where you are, but if there’s one near you that might be an option, too (although many are often full & not accepting animals, but it can’t hurt to ask). Good luck with your little turtle friend. I hope it finds a long healthy life somewhere.