We might be getting a turtle

[stormy]

One of my sisters co-workers has a turtle (not sure what kind) that she doesn't want anymore because..."they don't do anything!"

What did she think they'd do dog tricks?!

Haven't had a turtle since I was a kid, might be interesting if he/she comes to live here.

 

[abigail]

Originally Posted by stormy

..."they don't do anything!"

What did she think they'd do dog tricks?!

water turtles can be trained to do tricks as they love to eat. mine jumps and does the backstroke for food. i don't know about box turtles however.

 

[stormy]

I'd like to see pics of your turtle!

Yeah, I know turtles do stuff.

It just annoys me when people go out getting pets without knowing what they are getting into or have unrealistic expectations of what to expect from said pet. Then the animal is the one that suffers for it.

I'll see if I can find out what kind of turtle it is.

 

[abigail]

you can see Algae my turtle at

Here is Algae:

Going to

http://webpages.charter.net/parkavenue

lets you see my sewing room too

 

[krazy kat2]

Turtles are such cool critters. I love the markings on his face. Are they pretty easy to keep? It seems like they would be. Ever since I saw the pic of Terabyte, I have been toying with the idea of checking out one as a pet.
Some neighbor kids where I used to live got one and it got loose. It was huge, way too big to keep as a pet, so the parks department came and took it to a pond. The thing was as big as a hubcap, and it made this angry, hissing noise. They said it was one of the biggest ones they had ever seen in the area.

 

[pushylady]

Pretty turtle. Its shell looks all polished up!

 

[stormy]

Well, she brought the turtle over last night. She's a box turtle and her name is Shelly. She's cute and likes to run around the floor!

But we definately have to get her new living quarters, what she's in now is way too small, a small aquarium

Poor girl needs alot more space!


Will post pics as soon as possible!

 

[snosrap5]

Did they buy this turtle or did they pick it off the side of the road? I would
be interested in seeing the turtle. So many people down here in Florida just take them out of their natural enviroment because they thing they can have a free pet.

My husband will stop and rescue any that are in the road and we take them home til we can make a trip the our state park and release them their back into the wilderness. Normally on the weekends.

Sounds like you have it under control with getting it a bigger cage.

I get so frustrated at petstore that sell red-ear sliders because they lead people to believe that they can keep them in these little bitty cages.

Last year I came home with five baby turtles

because this lady ticked me off when I commented to a potential buyer that they would need a bigger cage. She was so angry at me for interfering. I looked at her and told her I would take five and I didn't want any of her cages either. I walked out of that store with five turtles in five paper cups.

My husband couldn't believe I did it. If I could have I would have bought her whole stock. I would have needed bigger ponds but they would be in a more natural enviroment instead of a little bitty plastic cage.

I'm sorry, I kinda hijacked your thread. I wish you the best of luck. If you need any help let me know!

 

[abigail]

Originally Posted by stormy

But we definately have to get her new living quarters, what she's in now is way too small, a small aquarium Poor girl needs alot more space!

oh I love box turtles, they love fresh vegetables and can roam around if you dont have too many places for it to hide. Did you get the link for a turtle forum like the cat site?

http://www.turtletimes.com/Forums/

Have fun with your new pet !!!

 

[stormy]

Thanks for the link Abigal, I joined!

Are you a member?

Your turtle is beautiful BTW

 

[stormy]

Originally Posted by snosrap5

Did they buy this turtle or did they pick it off the side of the road? I would
be interested in seeing the turtle. So many people down here in Florida just take them out of their natural enviroment because they thing they can have a free pet.

I don't know where they got the turtle, I'll see if my sis can find out.

hehe, Shelly is so cute! She loves her new house. We put a little "pool" in there for her and she spent alot of time in there yesterday...not sure if she had a pool in her previous house.

The cats don't know what to think of her when we let her run on the floor...Chuckie was afraid that first day, now he's just cautious!

 

[bab-ush-niik]

Check out http://invisionfree.com/forums/Happy_Turtles_Pub/. There's a wealth of information there, and the forum is just about the right size for my tastes. It's large enough that your questions get answered rapidly, and small enough that you can get through all the posts and get to know all the active members.

Turtles are such cool critters. I love the markings on his face. Are they pretty easy to keep? It seems like they would be. Ever since I saw the pic of Terabyte, I have been toying with the idea of checking out one as a pet.

They are quite a bit of work to set up. I've spent MUCH more on Terabyte than I have on Puppy. And Puppy is a very spoiled kitty. Once you get everything set up properly, maintenance isn't too bad. The key is not to ask pet stores for advice. They just sell you products that don't work for 4 times the price as online. Just expect to spend $500 or more, depending on what kind of setup you go with.

Some neighbor kids where I used to live got one and it got loose. It was huge, way too big to keep as a pet, so the parks department came and took it to a pond. The thing was as big as a hubcap, and it made this angry, hissing noise. They said it was one of the biggest ones they had ever seen in the area.

That's how big those little ones at the pet store can get. It probably was some kind of cooter, they're one of the larger aquatic species.

If you're planning on getting an aquatic turtle for the first time, go for a painted. They're a little smaller, depending on which subspecies, and they're one of the friendlier species.

Also try to go to a breeder or a rescue society. The turtles at pet stores and the ones at the malls/Chinatown/beach are probably already diseased. They came from turtle farms with horrific conditions. You'll end up spending $300 on vet bills, and the turtle may die anyway. Turtles hid their symptoms, so usually by the time you see a hatchling looking sick, it's too late.

 

[stormy]

Thanks for the great info bab-ush-niik!

I posted a pic of her in pet pics.

 

[shem]

Turtles are ace!!! I love them. I've never been fortunate to have any of my own but I hust think they're adoreable. Tortises are rad too