What if you find a turtle in your backyard?

That depends on what type of turtle you found. Some turtles (such as snapping turtles) are dangerous and probably shouldn't be handled. Others (such as red-eared sliders) are harmless and make decent pets. Make sure you know what kind of turtle you have and what will be required for you to take care of it. In most cases it's better to leave wild animals in their natural habitat. They are happier there. red eared sliders have a a yellow bellie and a red stripe where their ear should be, if it has a yellow belly and not the red ear, it is most likely a yellow bellie slider both are good pets, if it doesn't meet that descripion then you should definitely not keep it. If it does you might not want to keep it though, it might have parents who will be very sad if they lost their child. Think twice before plucking one out of your pond and calling it your pet.