safe moving procedures for a turtle

Question
we live in SW florida and a redbelly hatchling  somehow about a month ago ended up in our swimming pool.we have made a good home for him and have grown very attached.However, we have to move to Western NY in a couple of weeks and are concerned about how to transport him, or if it is cruel to bring him to such a cold climate.We have a man made fish pond at our new home for the summer and will provide an ample sized tank for the winter. QUESTIONS  1. is it cruel to move him to NYS.  2. How do we transport him?(we are driving) thanks so much for your time--

Answer
The how is simple, so lets start there. A simple plastic tub with a couple inches of water can be used when it makes sense (smooth, straight roads, or for longer drives.) For shorter hauls, you can put it in a box with some towels or wadded up paper towelling.

There really is no big trick or secret- lots of ways to make it work. Don't worry about feeding it en-route, bu don't let it get chilled.



Should you move it? I am not a big fan of taking wild animals out of their habitat. I'd leave it in a nearby pond or creek with other people nearby* and consider getting a new turtle, ideally a captive bred one, in NY.

Wild animals just don't adapt well to captivity and changes, and most wild populations are stressed enough already.

* One problem with relasing it is that it may have picked up diseases that truely wild turtles will have no resistance to. By releasing it near other people, you minimize this risk since the other turtles are more likely to have been exposed.