Turtle Rescue of NC

11/09/2025

11/09/2025

11/07/2025

We love our iggy girl!

11/07/2025

Remember the “golden girl” Eastern River Cooters? Well, we’ve been quietly raisng another odd hypomelanistic hatchling from this past season’s eggs.

Anybody else know what type of turtle this baby swamp queen is?? She/he is overwintering here with us along with 36 other hatchlings of her type that came earthside just a little too late to be released. Seen here with a typically colored sibling on top of picture.

The work we do getting these babies back to the wild is not possible without your support! Please consider donating to help us help them!

Ways to donate:
🐢Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2CZJMDTZ4L3U6?ref_=wl_share

🐢Venmo:

🐢CashApp: $TurtleRescueofNC

11/07/2025

11/05/2025

Another huge thank you goes out to our wonderful supporters!!! Stacy, Everett, and Sandra for keeping the turtles stocked with all their wishlist items ❤ Thank you to our monthly supporters who give monetary donations and our one time supporters. Every single dollar helps tremendously ease the financial burden of saving our wild friends! You guys give us the brightest smiles on days when it just seems like an uphill battle to do this work. Thank you for standing behind us!

10/30/2025

In addition to the 108 turtles currently in care overwintering with us we just took yet another who needs us.

We just received this beautiful young river cooter as a surrender. She is showing signs of a serious bacterial infection to her plastron (lower shell). Most likely this is due to being kept in inappropriate conditions without a basking dock/area or the overall sanitation of the water not being good. Turtles need to be able to completely get out of the water and dry themselves off to keep their shells healthy.

She will need antibiotic treatments to combat the infection and with proper care and enough time she should make a full recovery.

We can’t do this work without you! We are fully supported by generous donations from people just like you! Thank you!!

10/30/2025

**Update** sadly our opie girl did not survive her injuries. After necropsy it became evident she also had sustained some internal injuries that did not show on imaging. We also discovered that due her bladder was not functioning like it should have, most likely due to the traumatic brain injury sustained when she was hit by a car. Even in extreme sadness at her passing, we take comfort knowing she was given the best care we could possibly provide. She was comfortable with multi-modal pain support and she passed Sunday warm and cozy in fuzzy blankets surrounded by people who loved her and wanted the best for her.

Nope- your eyes are not deceiving you. This is not a turtle, but lucky for her, even though it is no longer our main objective- we are licensed and have experience with most wildlife species, including Virginia Opossums. This little lady was found on a late night pizza run tonight sitting in the middle of the lane of traffic in the pouring rain by our director. With nothing but a blanket in the car, she arrived to the clinic swaddled up like a warm fuzzy (albeit smelly) burrito.

She has been given anti inflammatories, pain medications, and fluids and will be taken in tomorrow for Xray to access the extent of the injuries to her face. From initial exam it appears she may have fractures to her sinus cavity, and possible orbital socket, she also has some minor road rash, but she is alert and responsive.

Send this sweet lady all of your healing thoughts as she snuggles in tonight safe and dry after what was probably one of the most frightening experiences of her life.ney leenter

10/29/2025

We are running incredibly low on cuttlebones. Can you help send some from our wishlist?? As you can see from this adorable munching tortoise, cuttlebone is a great way to add natural calcium and enrichment to our turtles of all kinds. It also is abrasive and helps keep their beaks nice and trim and in good health!
Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2CZJMDTZ4L3U6?ref_=wl_share

10/23/2025

Huge thank you to whomever sent us these items off of our wishlist!! There was not a name on the order, but just know that you are so appreciated!!

10/21/2025

Happy National Reptile Awareness Day! Everyday seems like reptile awareness day here, but today is a day for everyone to learn and celebrate our scaled friends! “Cheese” the River Cooter is celebrating by doing a favorite yoga pose under the basking light. How are you celebrating today?