OT: More Turtle pics and update (image heavy)
 

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. :mad:

Yesterday was a good day until he got home and was so pushy and did the above after dinner. :confused: 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. :D 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. :p

Cute! What's his name???

Mr. Turtle but I call him Mr. T for short. ;) :D

So, does he come when you call him? :D

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. ;) :D

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:

http://cyber-soup.com/pamster/Cumberland.jpg

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:

http://cyber-soup.com/pamster/Tank.jpg

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. :D

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.:D:hug:

Now I want to go and get two little turtles.

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

Nikko:hug:

Pam

So glad the turtle is working out to give you so much pleasure.

I hope things with Jackie calm down some soon.

Donna

I was just 'borrowing' that pic from another site I go to. I just wanted to show how big they get in time. That turtle is probably about five to eight years old I'd guess. LOL! Mine is the baby in the other pics. That one would need a 150 gallon tank at least or maybe an outdoor pond setup.

I hope to own a house by the time we are facing that wtih my little guy. Those small plastic bowls they make aren't good for turtles though, those are really only for fish or else the turtle will most likely have a curled up shell and not do really well because their little muscles will tighten and atrophy.

They need to swim, if they are aquatic turtles, land turtles need to forage and walk around their enclosures, but my ten gallon tank I suspect will only last for a year if that because they grow faster when they are babies. Turtles can be a lot of work, but I really adore this fellow. So it's all worth it. :D

Glad you got to see the pics Nikko, I hope all is well with you and your mother. I will see if I can post some more this week and check out some of the other threads here. :D

Thank you Dmom for pulling for me to have my other little guy calm down. In time it will get better I know it will. He's having a rough time in school time still and getting better at home, so we're doing better here, it's just the school time he's having it rough. I'll keep everyone posted on how things are going as they change. ;)

I have some more cool pics to share, we went to the petshop and I bought a lot of stuff for about $30 bucks, got a tank background (double sided print!) a new plant, two new filters to last us awhile. Some crickets and meal worms which I froze for him to chow on twice a week, a new clamp lamp and bulb for him and two thermomiters! One for the air temperature (you need to watch this to help them stay warm enough but not too warm so that they can overheat...It's more complicated then people might think at first, but it's been so much fun setting up his world.) and one for water temperature.

What do you think of these pics?

Oh WOW,
Now he is in turtle heaven.
Is he going to get a partner soon to share his place with??
M.

He really is in turtle heaven. They don't always do well with another turtle so I think not. I have no place for a second tank which they say on that Turtle forum you really have to be prepared for in case they develop aggression towards each other, because they can and do injure one another. It's really not like us for them, how we crave friendship and companionship, they are more lone critters, probably because they are more reptilian. ;)

I just love looking at the tank now, he is so much happier, my Mom is the best! She's so wonderful. She even got Jackie a new pair of shoes Saturday because his others were ripping up, my eleven year old wears a 9 1/2 now! :eek: LOL!! Glad you enjoyed the pics Mari! ;) :D

THis is great pamster!
so happy fo ryour afamily.
thanks for sharing these pictures...they are great and he is magnificent!
bizi

I am so glad everyone is enjoying the pics, I just adore how photogenic Mr. T is. Now with the background on the tank it's got that flash problem, so we'll see if I can find some way to compensate for it by setting the camera different. There has to be a way. :) ;)

I think he's pretty magnificient too, I just love this little guy, and last night we had seven baby fish born so he's got some more free food to chow on! I know he's loving all the other critters in the tank and he doesn't harrass them mostly, unless they bother him first. :)

And if he's in the mood to hunt the small fishes...but that's the cycle of life and why we got the fish in the first place because he needs live or at least frozen food. I got a dozen crickets in the freezer for him and a dozen meal worms too. I could get crazy and get them breeding but for now I am happy with getting them from the pet shop. LOL!!

Pam

I think this is the best thing you could have done for your on sprit and mood.

I'm so glad you got a turtle.

Donna

Thanks Donna! I couldn't agree more. I think our pleco (alge eater) didn't like the light, he was acting funny yesterday and this morning I found him motionless at the bottom of the tank. I think he's passed so it's too bad. But the turtle will enjoy eating it I bet, IF I leave it in the tank, part of me is worried it might be ill with something Mr. T could catch so hopefully I can get it out of there soon, before the other fish figure out the pleco died. THey are all fine, but we got a new bulb and last night it was on all night because it got down into the 30's maybe the cold water did him in, who knows? Anyway the turtle is fine this morning. :D

Pam,

Would/Did the turtle eat the pleco?
Sounds like yuck. But I guess that the turtle has to eat anyway!

Thanks for reminding me that turtles like their own territory and don't need company. Duh. I forgot that one. Even some mammals aren't really the cuddly friendly type. I know a few. ;)

Mari

Nope I got the carcass out before he went to town on it but I gave him a cricket and he was very happy. :D I read on the forum (the turtle one) that the regular guppies DO eat alge, and having gone through two alge eaters I think we're done getting those fish, and will use the guppies. LOL! The turtle is doing well though and is very happy with the situation in his tank so I feel happier. :D

How is it going?
We are ready for more pictures please.:D
bizi

Hehehehe, I am going to flip the background over today on the tank and see if I can get some good pics of him eating a cricket. It's cricket day and he loves them, I get frozen ones so there's no danger of a insect escapee running around our apartment....LOL!!! Some people like to give them live food but it's not something I can do, the feeder fish are enough live entertainment with dinner IMO. ;) :D

If I'm successful in getting some nice pics I will post them here in a couple hours. I have to get Jackie ready for school then defrost a cricket for him and have the camera ready. :D Should be a good exercise for Mr. T, he is warming up slowly to me, letting me watch him when he's out of the water even. It's been so nice having a pet again. I just feel so much happier knowing this little guy is here swimming and basking and living with us. :D

It's been spring break here so I haven't been able to post much, Jackie has been home all week. And we had something going on every day of the week except for Sunday. The only casualty of the week was our inflatable pool. Jackie ripped up the pool like Wednesday of last week. We were disappointed he couldn't control the impulse to destroy the thing he loves so much and when I went looking at the store I bought it from several years ago they didn't have them in yet, so NO pool now for goodness knows how long. :(

Other then that it wasn't too bad and the week seemed to fly by, it's summer break that is coming up next that I know will be really hard. Oh well, we get through it every year somehow and this year isn't any different. :cool: I am so glad your computer is back up and running bizi, those viruses can be nasty and leave you floundering to rescue your infected files. It's good to see you again around the board. :winky: :hug:

If no one has posted by the time I get the pics ready today I will edit them into here or maybe post again with the pics. ;) I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. :D

very happy about your pet....what is his/her name?
sorry about jackies behavior....:(
I don't know how you keep it all together.
Your a great mom!
((((HUGS))))
bizi

Thanks bizi! I really appreciate that, it's so hard sometimes, I couldn't do it alone, Jack has really stepped up and been helping so much it's been a lot easier these days. :) Jackie named the turtle Mr. Turtle and I call him Mr. T or Turtlini, it's so cute hearing Jackie call him Turtlini, it cracks me up, sounds like Turtle-weenie. LOL!!! As promised here are some more pics of Mr. T:



Hope you like them! :D Didn't flip the background yet, not sure I am going to disturb the little fellow again today, thinking I might wait and do it tomorrow. :)

thank you pam.
He si terrific and am so glad that jack is stepping up to the plate.
bizi

It's definitely been a huge difference. I feel better except for some active pain in my right arm from all the rolling I have been doing with him and Jackie, we are walking around the neighborhood once or twice a day now. If it's not getting better by my next pain doc appt I am going to talk to him about it. I don't know what else to do. I have been using muscle rub cream to no avail.

I took some more pics of Turtlini today, the top one is just a close up and the other two are of him eating a cricket:


Not the best pics but not too shabby. :) Hope you enjoy them bizi! :D

Thank you Pam!!!!
I think they are great pictures!
He is such a neat guy...and that cricket looks pretty big!
He is awfully handsome I must say....
does he need a mate?:eek:

bizi


wanted to add ....did you injure your arm or is a repetitive strain?
Have you ever tried icing it? or using biofreeze? Do you lift weights to build up your arm strength?
I am sorry it hurts.

You're very welcome bizi, I am glad you liked the pics, it is so great I can use the digital camera like this, it's an older model but I kinda like that it's older because it doesn't eat up batteries too badly. LOL! :D

I agree with you, he is a handsome turtle, I doubt we'll get another one since there are no guarantees you'll get the sex you're wanting and it could end up being a rival turtle instead of a mate. I am wishfully hoping he's actually a he, I don't know for sure yet, but I think his front nails are growing longer then a female's would. But if he's just a pretty girl his name will evolve to Miss Turtle aka Misty. LOL!


Males get to be between 5-8" and females grow as big as 8-13" so we definitely want him to be a he. :) The rule for habitat is 10 gallons of tank for every INCH of shell so a male will eventually need about a 65-70 gallon tank...Most people don't think about that when they see the cute hatchling in the pet shop which are really illegal to sell, but they get around it saying that they are for "Educational Purposes only" but there is a law stating that turtles under 4 inches cannot be sold and its a federal law.

As for my arm, I'd say it is repetative strain injury due to using it to get around so much, same with my knee, but like always I just suffer in silence, I am hoping it gets better as we keep 'walking' daily around the neighborhood. If not then I will tell my pain doc and see what he suggests, for now I will try the ice trick and see if it helps, thanks for the suggestion bizi! :hug: I feel better since we began walking around the neighborhood but I doubt I've lost much weight, I am going to start using the total gym again. :D Right now "walking" is my only exercise along with the activity of shopping at Walmart and other stores for groceries. LOL! :)

Nice pics of Mr. T Pam. I never saw a turtle with stripes like that. One question though..is that cricket alive or dead that he's munching on? I wish you didn't have to suffer in silence. :hug: Biofreeze works wonders though. I'm not kidding when I say I own stock in it.

I am so glad that you can operate the camera
to post your pictures.:)
Wow they get pretty big!

Hi BJ,
Sorry that you are friends with "biofreeze"....wish you were pain free.
((((HUGS))))
to you both
bizi

I wish you weren't in such pain either BJ. It's no fun to suffer with chronic pain. Glad you liked the pics, the cricket is dead, thawed out from the freezer. I don't want to start keeping live crickets, I hear they bite! :eek:

Crickets bite!!!!!!:eek:

Yup, that is from another turtle owner, actually a few of them posted on that turtle board in a thread I began asking about crickets and I was stunned, so I made the decision to freeze them and thaw them out as needed, and so far so good, Mr. T loves to chow on his crickets. :D