Watch the Heart-Warming Moment When Heroes Save Baby Turtles from Hungry Crocodiles

Written by Sharon Parry
Updated: October 17, 2023
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This little turtle was literally saved from the jaws of a crocodile! It had actually been swallowed but was still in the croc’s throat. This meant that two brave human rescuers were able to reach in with giant tweezers and pluck it out!

All of the excitement started with a chimpanzee spotting a baby yellow-bellied turtle near the crocodile enclosure at a zoological wildlife park in Miami. It appears that a mother turtle had laid some eggs unnoticed, so these new arrivals had come as quite a shock.

Watch the Incredible Footage Below!

Turtle rescued just in time.

Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtles in the Wild

Illegal Pets to Own In the United States: Turtles

Yellow-bellied turtles like to live in slow-moving water

©Marco Fine/Shutterstock.com

Yellow-bellied slider turtles (Trachemys scripta scripta) are not that hard to spot because they have – a yellow belly! Their native range is the southeast of the United States so you will spot them from Florida to southeastern Virginia. Within their natural range, they are the most common species of turtle and are therefore used for animal population studies.

When it comes to habitats, these little guys like to live in slow-moving water. They hang out in flood plains, marshes, swamps, and seasonal wetlands as well as ponds and slow-moving rivers.

Can You Keep Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtles as Pets?

Types of pond turtles - Yellow-bellied slider

In most areas, Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtles can be kept as pets.

©iStock.com/jrubacha

They can be kept as pets but always check the laws relating to your particular state because there are some restrictions.

They are moderately easy to look after and can live for up to 40 years. However, they do not stay as small as the babies in this clip. A male reaches a maximum of nine inches but a female can reach 13 inches so bear this in mind if you are thinking of getting one.

What’s great is that they are diurnal so they are most active during the day which is exactly when you and your family are around to watch and interact with them.

What Does a Pet Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtle Need?

Turtles breathe out of their butts

Yellow-bellied turtles need the right habitat to thrive.

©Korkin Vadim/Shutterstock.com

You can keep them inside or outside if your local climate is suitable. When housed outside they need a suitable pond and secure fencing. A cover of chicken wire may also be a good idea if your local predators (e.g. raccoons) are interested in turtles! The pond needs basking areas, landing areas, hiding areas, and plants.

Indoors you need a large aquarium with filtration, appropriate heating, and lighting. You can feed them on commercial turtle pellets but they are also very keen on dark leafy greens and the occasional shrimp!

Is it Normal for Crocodiles to eat Yellow-Bellied Turtles?

Alligator in Florida catches a turtle and eats it.

Crocodiles, and

alligators

, like the one shown here, like to make a tasty snack out of turtles.

©Jaimie Tuchman/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

While turtles are not the preferred diet of crocodiles, it is certainly not unusual to see this large reptile eating the smaller one. Crocodiles do not typically prey on turtles but should the opportunity present itself, and no other food sources be available, hunger will lead them to add turtles, as well as tortoises, to their meals.

Turtles are also considered an easy meal for these large predators and just like other prey, crocodiles are able to digest all parts, including the shell, which they can break with their powerful jaws. There have also been a few incidents where turtles have been rescued from not only the jaws of a crocodile but the stomach as well – and survived.

How Large are Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtles?

Yellow-bellied slider, Trachemys scripta scripta

Yellow-bellied sliders typically have an upper shell or carapace, that is brown or black with yellow stripes.

©Judson McCranie, CC BY-SA 3.0 – License

Female yellow-bellied sliders are the larger of the species, with sizes ranging from 8 to 13 inches. The males often reach sizes between 5 to 9 inches. They can weigh between 4 and 8 pounds. The record-holding size for this turtle is 12 inches.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/jrubacha


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About the Author

Dr Sharon Parry is a writer at A-Z animals where her primary focus is on dogs, animal behavior, and research. Sharon holds a PhD from Leeds University, UK which she earned in 1998 and has been working as a science writer for the last 15 years. A resident of Wales, UK, Sharon loves taking care of her spaniel named Dexter and hiking around coastlines and mountains.

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