Things You'll Need:
- Turtle
- Good observation skills
- Paper
- Pencil
- Camera
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Step 1
Take caution when picking the turtle up. If the turtle meets the following description it is probably a snapping turtle: Claws on the front feet and webbed back feet A bottom shell that is smaller than the turtle's body A dark colored upper shell; Hooked jaws
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Step 2
Inspect the turtle's toes. If the toes are webbed, the turtle is a swimmer and lives in water either part of the time or always. If the turtle has claws rather than webbed toes, it is a land turtle.
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Step 3
Inspect the turtle's shell. Is the shell hard or soft? If the turtle shell is soft, it's considered a soft-shell turtle. Is the top shell high and shaped like a dome? If so, it is probably a box turtle. Is the top shell flat with black, yellow, red, or orange markings? If so, it's probably a painted turtle of the turtle breed Chreysems.
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Step 4
Make notes of physical characteristics of the turtle mentioned above and also include notes about scales on the tail, head and leg stripes, and the hinge on the bottom shell.
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Step 5
Use your observations to consult a field guide on turtle breeds. Field guides can be checked out from libraries, purchased from bookstores, or found on-line.
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Step 6
Take a picture of the turtle and post it in a turtle breed forum on-line (See resources below). Many animal experts visit these forums regularly and could probably identify the turtle breed you have found.
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Step 7
Schedule an appointment with your local veternarian. If all else fails, a vet can certainly identify the turtle's breed and tell you how to feed and care for it.
