Well I feel so much better since getting this little turtle, watching him swimming around and seeing him looking up at me makes me feel all giddy and happy. I know he's just a turtle but he's our pet turtle and I am really getting so much out of having him in the house, more then I ever could have imagined to be honest. So I am doing okay, but Jackie is getting more and more hyper, no new aide yet and it's just so frustrating with him right now.

He pushed out the screen twice this week and yesterday when he really went after it a third time pulling the spline out that holds the screen in his father got it away from him and was fixing it and Jackie was hanging out the window and he dug up one of the plants the people who run the place planted! It's still sitting there this morning so I am not too pleased with him right now.

Yesterday was a good day until he got home and was so pushy and did the above after dinner. I wish he would listen better, he's really getting to be quite rambuctious. Anyway, I got some good pics of the turtle yesterday since I wanted to get some action shots I waited to take pics until I fed everyone in the tank and I got some interesting shots. Hope you like them, I wish things were better here but hopefully things are going to improve soon, we need some good days to offset the rough ones.

Cute! What's his name???

Mr. Turtle but I call him Mr. T for short.

So, does he come when you call him?

I wish! LOL!!!! No, he's skittish still and runs to hide, but that's their instinct, he's afraid of us still, but eventually he'll see I bring the food and get used to me being around.

oh panster, Thank you so much for sharing your pictures with us!
they are great, and I guess I did not think of him swiming that much is there an area he can hang out? does he sleep under water too?
sorry about jackie...sounds frustrating, you're an angel of a mom.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

I am really glad you enjoyed the pics, I will have some youtube videos coming in time, of him hunting, eating, swiming, you name it and I will be getting it on tape this summer since I want to remember how small he was because they get BIG:



That is huge and they need like a 75 gallon tank to accommdate them at that size, so in time we'll be getting one or making one out of plexiglass, who knows? Ever heard of Craigs List? Its got all kinds of stuff listed, from cheap used items to free items and I hope to find a good deal there locally, check it out it's even got housing ads! LOL!

Then I also check the local freecycle.org group which you can probably find one in your area too, they have only free items that have to be in good enough shape to reuse and it saves the landfills from filling up with good stuff that still has life left to it. As for his sleeping habits he does sleep underwater, they can hold their breath for a few hours believe it or not, the first time I saw it I was sure he was dead, but he was just resting...Hehehehe!

Here is a pic of the tank with the 'Basking platform' he has:



You can see how small he is compared to his tank, but I know that won't last long, they can grow up to like 5 inches in a matter of months at least they do from the start of their lives, I think they then slow down growthwise, but even so hubby doesn't think we're getting a bigger tank, but I know we're going to have to when the time comes at the fall of this year, which I think is when he's going to become a semi-adult.

If you or anyone else has any questions fire away and I will do my best to answer them. I have learned so much about turtle care over the past week and a half that I have been absorbing info from Austin's Turtle Page website which also hosts this incredible forum of people all devoted to our reptilian friends called http://www.turtleforum.com/ both have a wealth of info on all kinds of species of turtles and TONS of photographs, so you can appreciate the beauty of the animals.

Dear Pam,
I love the world you created for him with the other creatures and the colors -- everything a turtle could need.
He looks like a happy turtle.
M.

Thanks Mari! I think he's happy judging by the way he behaves. He is so cute, I just adore him and am so glad I picked HIM out of all the others turtles they had there. He looked spunky and cute and won my heart even then.

WOW, where do you keep the big turtle you are holding in the picture?

How large is the tank that the little one is in. I didn't know they swam under water so much. My aunt has 2 little ones in a small little plastic type not deep, thingy. So, I am confused.

When I was a little girl, I had two little turtles I called candy and lollipop.

Now I want to go and get two little turtles.

I just love animals, reptiles, fish, etc...........................

Nikko