MONTPELIER — Each year, Steve Parren, wildlife biologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, gets contacted about pet turtles people no longer want. Some turtles grow too large. Others require more complicated care than owners realize — turtles kept indoors require full-spectrum lighting for healthy shell development. And with lives that can last 50 years or longer, turtles often outstay their welcome. Not only is it illegal to keep native turtles as pets in Vermont, releasing captive native turt … (read more)
