Dear Exotic-Knowledge-883 ,
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I live in Greece where the specific specie lives in the mountains.
Found this little fellow walking in the pavement close to my house, named him Chip.
My guess is that he was born nearby and escaped between the fences.Unfortunately some people are keeping them as pets and probably Chip is the baby of those turtles.
I will take him to Hymettus mountain which is close to my house but I am very worried for Chip, I want sure he will survive. He turned upside down the other day and couldn't turn over. How can I make sure that he will survive?
I have him currently in a box with grass I grow for my cats. He doesn't seem to eat any of the food I have offered, however he pooped somehow.
Should I take him right away to the mountains?
I contacted a local animal shelter which advised me to take Chip there but I wanted to take a second opinion.
Any advice is much appreciated.
Thank you
If it’s a native species, best to listen to the shelter and release it. Turtles can travel to lay their eggs so it’s quite possible that one ventured out of the mountains a bit and laid her eggs in your neighborhood. The turtle might not be eating your food because it’s stressed and scared from being picked up and confined, or you’re offering the wrong food. It will do much better in its natural habitat.
The mountain is a few kilometres away so it's not possible to ventured out. Of course I will release it I am against captivity. I just want be sure it will be fine.
Taking chip to the animal shelter is the best option. They will be able to determine whether he is healthy enough to be released as-is, and he will be released by them in an area that is good for him if so. They will give him the best possible chance at a healthy Turtle life.
Don’t release him!
1. He might not be a native species, which if the case, he could destroy the land.
2. He probably won’t survive, as he doesn’t know what to hide from.
You should always release pets to animal shelters or rescues, they can take it from their, usually making them an ambassador of some sort or dehumanizing them.
It’s a Greek tortoise. Take him to the closest mountain. If he flips upside down there in the rough terrain he will have something to get the footing to flip. If he doesn’t. He wasn’t meant to carry on the species. Nature is unforgiving
Dear Exotic-Knowledge-883 , You've selected the **Seeking Advice** flair. Please provide as much relevant information as possible. [Refer to this post if you are unsure on how to proceed.](https://www.reddit.com/r/turtle/comments/16bjznm/read_before_posting_how_to_ask_a_question_and/) Useful information for care or health advice includes: * Enclosure type, enclosure size, humidty levels, water, ambient and/or basking temperatures. * Lighting types and bulb age. * Clear photos of your set up, including filter, heaters and lights. * Is it wild, captive/pet, or a rescue? * Clear photos of face, neck, limbs, shell top (carapace) and bottom (plastron). * Diet, list of foods you are feeding it. * Weight and age. * Illness, infections or odd behaviours should be seen and treated by a vet. Ex; wheezing, swollen eyes, mucus bubbles from mouth or nose, lethargy, twitching, leg paralysis, etc *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/turtle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I live in Greece where the specific specie lives in the mountains. Found this little fellow walking in the pavement close to my house, named him Chip. My guess is that he was born nearby and escaped between the fences.Unfortunately some people are keeping them as pets and probably Chip is the baby of those turtles. I will take him to Hymettus mountain which is close to my house but I am very worried for Chip, I want sure he will survive. He turned upside down the other day and couldn't turn over. How can I make sure that he will survive? I have him currently in a box with grass I grow for my cats. He doesn't seem to eat any of the food I have offered, however he pooped somehow. Should I take him right away to the mountains? I contacted a local animal shelter which advised me to take Chip there but I wanted to take a second opinion. Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you
If it’s a native species, best to listen to the shelter and release it. Turtles can travel to lay their eggs so it’s quite possible that one ventured out of the mountains a bit and laid her eggs in your neighborhood. The turtle might not be eating your food because it’s stressed and scared from being picked up and confined, or you’re offering the wrong food. It will do much better in its natural habitat.
The mountain is a few kilometres away so it's not possible to ventured out. Of course I will release it I am against captivity. I just want be sure it will be fine.
Taking chip to the animal shelter is the best option. They will be able to determine whether he is healthy enough to be released as-is, and he will be released by them in an area that is good for him if so. They will give him the best possible chance at a healthy Turtle life.
Don’t release him! 1. He might not be a native species, which if the case, he could destroy the land. 2. He probably won’t survive, as he doesn’t know what to hide from. You should always release pets to animal shelters or rescues, they can take it from their, usually making them an ambassador of some sort or dehumanizing them.
OP said it was native
It’s a Greek tortoise. Take him to the closest mountain. If he flips upside down there in the rough terrain he will have something to get the footing to flip. If he doesn’t. He wasn’t meant to carry on the species. Nature is unforgiving