hatchling help

Question
I recently rescued a hatchling red eared slider who wound up in my back yard. We have a huge lake near us, but I want to make sure it is plenty healthy & able to survive on its own before we release it into its original habitat. There was no egg remains or anything. He is about the size of a quarter. I have cared for a red eared before but never one this young. What is the best way to feed him & what should I feed him? I have everything else taken care of. He is plenty active, shell is nice & firm, & eyes are wide open. He also shows perfect range of motion. Any advice? I have read several things, like live small bugs, romaine lettuce etc. But I wanted to ask an expert.

Answer
Hi Norma,

It would be best to release the hatchling now.  It's in apparently good shape, and hatchlings can forage for themselves just fine.  In addition, there's no way to set up an artificial environment that's as good as a natural one, so the lake is the best place for him.   The other factor to consider is that once you've kept a wild turtle captive for longer than a very short period of time, you've introduced foreign pathogens (through food, etc.) and really shouldn't (legally or ethically) release that turtle, ever, since wild populations may not have immunities against those pathogens.  The little guy is likely as healthy as he's ever going to be, so go ahead and release him now.