Not every situation is an emergency or needs a wildlife rescue's help. Please see the information on our Found a Turtle? page to help determine if the turtle you found is truly in need of rescue.
Turtle Emergency!
We are the only state-permitted, turtle and tortoise-only rescue in Mississippi. Unfortunately, we can't be everywhere at once. If you have found a turtle that is injured and needs our help, collect the turtle (don't leave it!) and let us know right away by calling or texting (601) 672-1418 - please note that only emergencies are answered right away (injured/threatened turtles) Monday-Sunday, 7AM to 10PM Central Time. Non-emergency calls and texts, or calls and texts at night will be answered as soon as we're able. We have also put together a registry of other rescues and veterinary offices around Mississippi that may be able to help.
Please Keep In Mind
**DO NOT assume the turtle is dead **
Some turtles "play dead" as a defense. They have the uncanny ability to slow down their respiration to an almost imperceptible level and remain very still. Even with horrendous injuries, the turtle may still be alive. We can save it from further suffering, and if the turtle is female, we may even be able to save her eggs if she has any. We don't pronounce a turtle dead until rigor mortis has set in (the turtle is stiff and the limbs unmovable) and/or the turtle gives off the unmistakable smell of decomposition.
TIPS for caring an injured turtle until it can get to us
Most importantly, if you have stopped to help a turtle, THANK YOU! We will do everything we possibly can to get that turtle into care as quickly as possible. So many turtles would die slowly and painfully if it weren't for the kind human souls who choose to lend a hand. We appreciate you. You are turtle heroes!
Please Keep In Mind
- We can't always stop what we're doing to handle the next emergency. We are only two people, and we have have a responsibility to the turtles already in our care, as well as a responsibility to the bosses that pay us and the family that needs us. We will make every effort to get the injured turtle from you, but please, please be patient.
- In most cases we won't be able to come to you, especially if you live more than 30 minutes away from our location in Florence, MS. Instead we may ask that you bring the turtle to us, meet us closer to Florence, or we may seek volunteers to help transport the turtle from you to us. We also have relationships with other all-species rescues and vet clinics around the state. Depending on where you are, it may be possible to take the turtle to one of those rescue centers or vet clinics, rather than try to get it all the way to us in Florence.
- If you've found an injured/sick turtle, DO NOT leave the turtle. Stay with him until help can arrive, or take the turtle with you if you must leave. If you leave the turtle there unattended, he will not simply sit there and wait for rescue, no matter how badly hurt he is. **If you leave an injured turtle, we WILL NOT set out to find him. By the time we could get there, he will either have left on his own or a predator will have taken him. (Nature is not kind to injured animals. If you absolutely cannot stay with the turtle or take the turtle with you, call us and let us know it wasn't possible to stay with him. Give us all the detail you can about his location. If we're able to at that moment, we will post on our Facebook page, and maybe someone near the turtle's location will see it and can go out and get him. This rarely ends with a rescued turtle, however. The best way to help that turtle is to collect him and then call us.
**DO NOT assume the turtle is dead **
Some turtles "play dead" as a defense. They have the uncanny ability to slow down their respiration to an almost imperceptible level and remain very still. Even with horrendous injuries, the turtle may still be alive. We can save it from further suffering, and if the turtle is female, we may even be able to save her eggs if she has any. We don't pronounce a turtle dead until rigor mortis has set in (the turtle is stiff and the limbs unmovable) and/or the turtle gives off the unmistakable smell of decomposition.
TIPS for caring an injured turtle until it can get to us
- FIRST ... please, please, please note the location where the injured turtle was found! This is critical information for a rescue or veterinary office to have. Rehabilitated wild turtles are released back to the home territory in the wild and cannot be relocated, so we have to have that origin location information in order for the turtle to be released later.
- IF there is a veterinarian near you that will see turtles, take the turtle there for immediate care. Check our registry page for Mississippi vets and wildlife rescues who we know see turtles and tortoises.
- Put the turtle in a box that is large and strong enough the turtle can't escape it. You can put towels, newspaper, or paper towels in the bottom of the box to make him more comfortable. Please don't underestimate a turtle's ability to climb. Make sure the container is tall and/or has a lid (with holes for air).
- Keep the turtle dry. Unlike fish, aquatic turtles don't have to be in water to survive. They can safely be kept dry for several hours (or even longer) if needed. Putting an injured turtle in water spreads germs and bacteria into the wounded area, and also prevents blood from clotting. If the injury is severe enough it could also cause drowning. Placing the turtle in or on wet towels or blankets only serves to make the turtle cold.
- Keep the turtle INDOORS, and keep him protected from insects. Some bugs, such as flies or gnats, will be attracted to the smell of blood, will land on the injuries, and will lay their eggs there. These eggs hatch into maggots, which can do serious damage to the turtle. Despite what you've seen on TV regarding maggots being beneficial to human wounds, maggots are NOT beneficial to turtle wounds. Other bugs, such as fire ants, can easily kill a turtle. If they smell blood, they will follow the smell, and can easily gang up on and take down a turtle - especially one that's been injured.
- If the turtle is bleeding heavily, you can use some sterile gauze to help stem the flow. You can also wrap the turtle with sterile gauze to help stabilize any broken shell pieces that may be present.
- DO NOT use any ointment, cream or salve on a turtle's shell. Any oil-based product will inhibit our ability to repair broken shell later. These types of medications can also trap bacteria in, making infections worse.
- DO NOT offer an injured turtle food or water. Many aquatic turtle species cannot eat outside of water (and remember, we said NO water.) Unlike humans, turtles don't eat three meals a day. It will not harm the turtle to go several days without food. Turtles generally don't want to eat when they've been injured anyway. Just as you wouldn't offer a human a drink and a snack before the ambulance arrives, you don't need to offer a turtle a drink or snack either.
- Keep the turtle warm and away from any drafts. A turtle's immune system is completely dependent on its body temperature, which unlike humans, they cannot maintain themselves. Their bodies are whatever temperature their environment is. If he's too cold, the healing process cannot begin. An ideal temperature range is 75-80 F. Many people accomplish these temps by placing the turtle in a closet or bathroom, where air conditioning generally doesn't circulate. If that isn't possible, placing the turtle near a table or desk lamp can provide extra warmth (just make sure the turtle doesn't overheat.)
- Leave the turtle in silence. A warm, dark area where there is little to no activity, and away from pets is best. Only check on the turtle occasionally, and try to be quiet when doing so. Stress can inhibit immune response in turtles, so the more at-ease you can make him, the faster he'll heal. As strange as it may sound, a closet is often a great place to put an injured turtle temporarily until you can get help for him. It's dark, closed off and quieter than the rest of the house, and is often warmer and less drafty than the rest of the house. (And, if he does escape his box, then he can't go far.)
- If/when you transport the turtle, you can do so in the box you've already placed him in. Just make sure the box isn't so large that he'll slide around in it during transport. Try to be gentle with your driving, especially if the shell has been broken, to avoid any further damage to the shell. Do not place the turtle in the trunk or open bed of a pickup. He will quickly overheat this way, even on cooler days if the sun is out. And do not transport any turtle in water. (Even healthy turtles should be transported dry.)
Most importantly, if you have stopped to help a turtle, THANK YOU! We will do everything we possibly can to get that turtle into care as quickly as possible. So many turtles would die slowly and painfully if it weren't for the kind human souls who choose to lend a hand. We appreciate you. You are turtle heroes!