Adoptions
Attention: Our adotions program is temporarily on hold. We hope to get it back up and running as soon as possible so be sure and check back!
Rehabilitated turtles that cannot be released or are not native to MS are adopted to new homes. If you are interested in adopting a turtle, please complete the Adoption Application* and submit it to [email protected].
The form is electronic. If you prefer a paper form, please email us at [email protected] and we will send you one by email or hard copy by mail.
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By state law, our facility is NOT open to the public. We are a home-based group and therefore do not offer open tours to view the turtles in our care. Please take a moment to fill out the Adoption Application, which can be found above. Once you submit the application, we will be in touch and, if approved, can set up an appointment to view the turtle you're interested in. Detailed information about each available turtle is available on request.
Please email [email protected].
Please note:
- In most cases, minimum enclosure size for a single adult box turtle is 15 square feet. (Smaller enclosures will be considered for young box turtles if adopter is willing to up-size as the turtle grows.)
- Glass tanks are never appropriate for box turtles or tortoises.
- Minimum tank size for an aquatic turtle is 10 gallons of water for every inch of shell length.
- Space requirements for tortoises vary depending on species. No matter the type of turtle, more space is always better.
- Pre-approved 24-hour/day predator-proofing is required for any turtle that will be housed outdoors. No exceptions.
- We will check your references, including your current vet. We believe that prior vet history with your current or past pets provides great insight on how you treat animals in your care.
- We will not supply mass turtle breeders. If your intent is to adopt a turtle from us and breed him or her repeatedly for profitable gain, please look elsewhere.
Click below for our guidance on appropriate enclosures:
Guidelines for Box Turtles
Guidelines for Aquatic Turtles
Please remember that most of the turtles we offer for adoption are wild animals. They were not bred to be pets and were not raised as pets. The only reason they are in captivity and are available for adoption is because they cannot be released. We favor adopters who intend to provide an environment as closely resembling their natural environment as possible, or as close to that as possible considering any special needs the turtle may have.
We do not charge an adoption fee and we do not sell any turtles. All potential adopters will be heavily screened.
Yes, we will ship...
We are willing to ship, on a case-by-case basis - adopter pays all shipping costs. If a turtle is to be shipped out of state, the adoption must also first be approved by the MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Shipping is temperature-sensitive. Depending on where you live, we may not be able to ship to you during summer or winter. We ONLY ship on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for priority overnight delivery. We do not ship door-to-door. For the safety of the turtle, we will ship only to an approved FedEx Ship Center near you, where you can pick up the turtle. Adopted turtles can still be picked up locally in Florence, Mississippi. We follow all shipping guidance issued by ShipYourReptiles.com. There will be absolutely no adoptions, local or otherwise, between November 15 and January 15 due to increased shipping volume during the holidays and to allow our staff a few weeks for family commitments.
Please be familiar with your state and local laws. We will not willingly or knowingly adopt any turtle where it is prohibited to do so by law. In Mississippi, you MUST possess a "valid Resident Sportsman's License, a Resident All Game Hunting and Freshwater Fishing License, a Small Game Hunting and Freshwater Fishing License, or a Non-Resident All Game Hunting License" to possess native turtles. Further, "no person shall possess more than a total of 20 nongame reptiles" and of that 20 "no more than four (4) can be of the same species or subspecies." Mississippi Code of 1972, Section 49-5-107. More on Mississippi laws regarding turtles, frogs, salamanders, or snakes can be found on the website of the MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
A turtle is not the right pet for everyone. If you are interested in adopting one, we recommend you do a lot of research and view this video first.
Foster Programs
We take in hundreds of turtles each year, some that are with us for many months or even years. Fosters of our healthy turtles awaiting release or adoption are critical because they help free up space at our facility for critically injured or ill turtles. We offer two different types of foster opportunities... In-Home Fosters and our Hatchling Turtle Foster Program for Educators. To see more about these programs, click the button below.