"In the end, we will only conserve what we love, we will only love
what we know, and we will only know what we are taught." Baba Dioum
I Found an Injured Reptile:
What Do I Do?
Reptiles are very hardy and resilient animals. With supportive care, most reptiles can recover from a variety of injuries.
If you find an injured reptile, place it in a cardboard box or plastic tupperware/storage box; and put it somewhere warm, dark, and quiet.
DO NOT give any food or water! Contact Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue or another rescue/rehabilitator in your area. See our "contact us" page.
Do not attempt to handle a venomous snake. If you cannot positively identify the snake, do not handle it. Place a box over the snake and contact WFRR through the "contact us" page.
After most baby reptiles are born or hatched, they are on their own and do not need to be rescued. If their safety is compromised by the presence of a predator, roadway, or development, we can relocate them to a safe and suitable habitat location within their territory, or attempt to find new habitat for them.
Turtles crossing the road:
It is very kind to help a turtle crossing the road in traffic. If you do stop to help, be cautious, and ALWAYS place the turtle far off the road in the direction he was headed.
A turtle that has been hit by a car and suffered a cracked shell can be rehabilitated. *Always make note of the area the reptile was picked up, so it can be returned to its territory if possible.
Relocations of reptiles:
For many reasons, please do not relocate on your own any reptiles that you may find. Many people want to help when they find a turtle or even a snake or lizard, and will take it miles down the road, off to the country, etc. This does not do them any favors most of the time, and in fact more often than not, does them harm.
Most reptiles have established home ranges, and they continue to use the resources in this home range year round, year after year. They know where the resources are to keep them alive in this home range, they have imprinted on it since they were born. They may return to the same spot to hibernate and to lay their eggs year after year. Many people tell me they see the same turtles return almost yearly to their gardens, flower beds, back yards, etc.; and they happen to know it because it has a scratch on it's shell or something to that effect.
Studies conducted on relocated reptiles, that were tracked after release, indicate that most reptiles have less than a 10% chance of survival upon being relocated outside of their home range. Another study advanced the figure to possibly 20%, but this is less than half the success rate enjoyed by releases of mammals. In other words, this means the reptile has between an 80-90% chance of dying the first winter, if you relocate it outside its original territory.
What happens when you relocate and release a turtle, lizard, or snake outside of it's home range?
It will most likely wander in search of its home. It will cross more roads than usual, expose itself to more dangers because it is on the move more than it should be. It will not settle and rest when it is supposed to. It will not be foraging or hunting as it should, thus, it will not be getting enough to eat to prepare for winter. It will be expending excess energy being on the move, burning more than it would be if it were back in its territory. When winter comes, it will not know where it is in relation to its normal hibernation place, and it may not find a suitable one in time, or may refuse to go into a perfectly suited den that belongs to another animal. Thus, most relocated reptiles are likely to not survive their first winter away from their home range.
This is why it is important to alwasy note where the reptile was found. If it needs attention, note the location, get in touch with us, and we will make sure that it gets released where it belongs when the time is right. If the location is not safe for some reason, due to development or other, then we can survey the area ans make an assessment as to whether it has remaining habitat in the home range it can use, or if it needs sanctuary.
Thank You
WFRR