I Broke the Law

Well on Saturday, I broke the law without knowing it.

My mom and I were driving near the Monon Center and there was a Box Turtle in the middle of the road. I pulled over, and my mom was going to carry it to safety. I then said "why don't we take it home, I have been wanting a turtle." I had one when I was a kid and loved having it for a pet.

So, we took the turtle home and I was prepared to get everything to care for it properly. Then, I started to research and discovered it was an Ornate Box Turtle and it is illegal in Indiana to take them out of the wild.

And then, I read more. Ornate Box Turtles are not as hardy as American Box Turtles, and wild ones don't do well in captivity. So, then I felt guilty.

So, first thing Sunday morning, I took the turtle back to the area where I found her and released her back into the wild. I was sad and worried she might get in the road again, but I know I did the right thing. If anything, I had a pet turtle for a day and learned a lot of things I did not know before.

I still plan on getting a turtle, but next time it will be from some sort of rescue organization for turtles that have only lived in captivity.