Texas Map Turtle help.

Question
We have had a Texas Map Turtle for the past year (year ago last May).
Found near local pond, was about 2" in diameter when we got it.
We think it is a female, We do not know if we should take her back to the pond, the tank we have is small (aprox. 10 gal) and we don't want to keep the turtle from the life it should have or injure in any way.
Would it be best if we take it back where we got it, or is keeping the bast, how big should the tank be, and do they get lonely?

Answer
Well, there is no easy answer to this. The rule of thumb is that releases are most successful if they happen within 8 months and a mile of the original capture.

Should you decide to keep it, we figure that a turtle needs about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length, so if it is 3" long now, it would need about 30 gallons of water, or a mostly filled 50 gallon tank.

You can find care info at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com and a forum of enthusiasts at http://www.turtleforum.com