Tokka and Gamera
Gamera and Tokka are two baby snapping turtles found by two different people in different locations, but admitted to the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center within a few days of each other.
Each about the size of a silver dollar, these little cuties were found last fall, well beyond when we would expect turtles to hatch. These little turtles were each found lying cold and very still on the ground.
Baby Turtles
Baby turtles are normally self-sufficient immediately upon hatching.
After the eggs hatch, the little turtles dig their way out of their underground nest and head straight to the relative safety of the water. However, the weather was so cool when Tokka and Gamera hatched, that being “cold-blooded,” their body temperature was too low for them to function well enough to make it to the water. Besides being very cold, Tokka and Gamera were otherwise in good shape when they arrived at our wildlife hospital. We 
placed them in shallow containers of room-temperature water and slowly warmed them.
Caring for Tokka and Gamera
Because Tokka and Gamera had hatched at such an odd time of the year, we knew that the outdoor water temperatures were too cold to give the little turtles a chance to prepare for winter hibernation, so we decided to keep them in our care until spring.
We provided them with a constant food supply and a steady temperature to keep their metabolism fully-functioning and they really grew quickly! After nearly 7 months of care, the little silver-dollar-sized turtles had nearly tripled in size! Finally, on a warm spring day, Crystal, the wildlife staffer who had provided most of their care, was pleased to release the two healthy happy turtles, Gamera and Tokka, back into the wild!
Discover a Wild Baby?
If you have found a baby wild animal, please don’t try to raise it yourself.
Instead, contact our Wildlife Reception Desk at 414-431-6137 for assistance. Your sponsorship of Tokka and Gamera will help provide the resources we need to care for the thousands of wild animals people bring to us each year.
