Bi-lingual Turtles

How will it affect their relationship?

Published on December 9, 2005 By AvantiTexan In Reptiles

I was wondering if there were any turtle owners out there?

My wife and I have two turtles. One is back in the states with some friends, his name is Kiwi. Our other one we have here in Italy. He was given to us by one of the boys from church. He named him Franklin. Not what I would have named him, but you can’t change a name. It really destroys a turtle’s self-esteem.

I got interested in turtles some time back. So far my passion has been restricted mainly to fresh-water turtles, but sea turtles and certain land turtles are fascinating also.

With both my turtles I have made aquarium set-ups which include a good filter, a water heater and a heating lamp (for basking). Well, I don’t have a basking light yet for our new Italian turtle, but I am hoping to get one in the future.

Would love to hear from other turtle owners!

Comments

kingbee

on Dec 09, 2005

what kinda turtles do you have?

i've had as many as 40 atta time in the past. i'm down to one at the moment (and i really wish i could find it a home with someone who hadda secure yard and didn't use any chemicals to fight off insects, snails, moles, etc.).

despite research which seems to suggest turtles and some fish continue anabolizing and, thus, never get 'old' in the sense of exhibiting tissue breakdown or organ failure due to aging, i've had several die (for various reasons) and i don't wanna go thru it again.

i'm still as fascinated with them as i've always been...just a lil more determined to keep my distance.

Spc Nobody Special

on Dec 09, 2005

My brother used to keep snapping turtles in an aquarium and we'd both play with them. One red eye snapper, one alligator snapper that looked like a minature dinosaur. Cute when they're only 4 inches long, but don't ever get your hands, or anything you want to keep for that matter near one of the big ones. I've seen them a couple of feet long and they never let go.

AvantiTexan

on Dec 09, 2005

kingbee

what kinda turtles do you have?

They are both red-eared sliders. (Only one is Italian!) he he

i've had as many as 40 atta time in the past

Holy Cow! That's a lot of turtles! Did you have names for all of them or just numbers?

i've had several die (for various reasons) and i don't wanna go thru it again

It would be hard if one of mine died (one is about two years old and the other working on a year) - I've been lucky and gotten two really healthy, hardy turtles, some seem to just be more susceptible to illnesses and the such

just a lil more determined to keep my distance

I was like this in the beginning (and am still very cautious), I read and read and researched and research before I even went to the pet store. I can see why you would feel that way. What type of turtles did you have(assuming land)?

Spc Nobody Special

My brother used to keep snapping turtles in an aquarium and we'd both play with them

That is sooo cool! However, I do think there are some laws about owning snapping turtles. I don't remember them right now and it may vary from state to state. That being said, I would love to have an alligator snapper, they ROCK!! (I'm sooooo jealous!)

one alligator snapper that looked like a minature dinosaur

That's what's so neat about them!

I've seen them a couple of feet long and they never let go.

Yeah, I've seen some stuff on the animal channel when they have to remove one from a public pond or something - pretty dangerous stuff - but they are such amazing animals!

just john

on Dec 09, 2005

My wife and I have a couple of sliders. Shaggy, the girl, not what I would have named her but that is what the seven year old wanted so... also she was the size of a quarter so we didn't know she was female and Rosco, the boy, my wife named this one.

They have a 55 gallon tank specially decked out with a nice brick basking deck and lots of various rocks to prop themselves up on when they want to poke their heads out of the water.

My wife is a little more into them that I am. If she happens to catch this I am sure she will ask you (So I'll do it)... Do you know how to tell if a turtle is pregnant?

kingbee

on Dec 09, 2005

Do you know how to tell if a turtle is pregnant?

really simple if they are used to being handled or don't retract their back legs too tightly when you pick em up. slip a finger into each side in front of the rear leg and if ya feel the shape of eggs, you'll wanna provide her with at least a 1' wide 'beach' of sand (so a lot bigger tank maybe) into which she can dig a nest. not all eggs are fertilized so don't start countin your turtles...

kingbee

on Dec 09, 2005

I can see why you would feel that way. What type of turtles did you have(assuming land)?

as a kid in michigan, mostly painted, blandings and map turtles alho i also had a big wood turtle and a box turtle (both of which lived indoors).

as an adult, i've had both a common snapper, an alligator snapper, several softshell species, a european tortoise and about 5 box turtles (4 of which i found on the double yellow lines in the middle of us 45 in tennessee...the other was a hatchling).

the snapper was a yearling from nw indiana. i bought the alligator snapper from a rogue dealer (who took me into a back room). both are extremely illegal in california. the alligator snapper's mother was already a ward of the state.

AvantiTexan

on Dec 10, 2005

just john

Do you know how to tell if a turtle is pregnant?

Sorry, can't help you here, just have male turtles! (Actually I am glad that kingbee bailed me out on this one he he he)

kingbee

i've had both a common snapper, an alligator snapper, several softshell species, a european tortoise and about 5 box turtles

Quite a resume! Snappers are so interesting, but I've never been brave enough to get one.

both are extremely illegal in california.

Also in Oklahoma. It is also illegal to sell red eared slider turtles smaller than 4 inches in diameter. I was surprised about the number of rules and regs for turtles when I was researching!

Sounds like you've got lots of expierence. I have a question for you, have you ever transported a turtle (or had a turtle transported) overseas (either direction)?

kingbee

on Dec 10, 2005

Snappers are so interesting, but I've never been brave enough to get one

as a general rule (general enuff that i still have all my fingers hahaha), snappers won't bite while they're submerged. so the trick to catchin em is to wait til you see one pop his head outa the water to breathe, focus on exactly how many steps you're gonna need to take to get there and when it submerges again, get to where you last saw it asap. reach down into the water to first locate the turtle and immediately thereafter find the tail (easier than it may seem thanks to the shape of the carapace and the way the scutes angle downwards). when ya pull it outta the water, remember it's neck is gonna be as long as its tail...so if it's of any size, ya wanna hold it at arm's length.

kingbee

on Dec 10, 2005

Also in Oklahoma. It is also illegal to sell red eared slider turtles smaller than 4 inches in diameter. I was surprised about the number of rules and regs for turtles when I was researching!

illegal in oklahoma to have an alligator snapper? common snappers must be native to oklahoma (as they are everywhere east of the rockies.

i'd like to think the size limit on water turtles was imposed to prevent people from robbing nests and painting their shells (which used to be a fairly common lil abberation). but it's actually intended to protect lil kids from getting salmonella. not that i've ever known anyone to pick it up from a turtle.

, have you ever transported a turtle (or had a turtle transported) overseas (either direction)?

one of my friends from grade school lived in florida for a while where he sold pet supplies. he had some pretty exotic stuff and shipped me a small softshell once and a hatchling box turtle after that. he sent em both packed in like a tupperwear container, swaddling them in enough wet paper towels to provide moisture, insulation and padding. both came thru in excellent shape.

shipping any reptile into the us is prolly much more difficult than the other way. inbound, you might need to hire a broker who specializes in reptiles.

AvantiTexan

on Dec 10, 2005

kingbee

illegal in oklahoma to have an alligator snapper?

I can't say if it is illegal to have an alligator snapper or not. Just that there are lots of rules and regs including the fact that you cannot take (hunt) them from the wild. Selling and buying might be different.
Link

common snappers must be native to oklahoma

They are, but just because they are there does not mean you can have them as pets. Again, I don't if there is a law about possessing one or not. If there is no law about having one, I'll be sure to move back to OK so I can get one!

he sent em both packed in like a tupperwear container, swaddling them in enough wet paper towels to provide moisture, insulation and padding. both came thru in excellent shape

Haven't thought of that way before. Good idea.

shipping any reptile into the us is prolly much more difficult than the other way. inbound, you might need to hire a broker who specializes in reptiles.

Yeah, you're right on this one and that is what I am afraid of. We have some friends who took a turtle home with them about five years ago from Italy to the states. She took it home in her pocket! It made the trip just fine. However, we live in a different travel life, don't think I could get away with that one!
We would love to take him home with us when we return, but I don't know how much I'm willing to spend...

kingbee

on Dec 10, 2005

alligator snappers really should be protected everywhere and appear to be in oklahoma. i wonder how many make it there? (alligator snappers instinctively travel towards the source of rivers which is a good distribution plan...or was til people started managing waterways.)

yall must have some monstrous bullfrogs if there are actually people who hunt em with firearms.

you might be able to figure out a way to get your turtle in. declaring it may not be healthy for it or work out well for you either. dhl or some other next day courier would be the way to go. there must be at least one type of packaging customs people don't like dealing with.

bbaker5311

on Apr 08, 2006

I assume our turtles hail from Mexico (we're in Southern California), because they don't seem to understand anything I say in English. I yell and yell and yell, and they just want to take a siesta!

Before anyone calls PETA on me, that was a joke designed to enrage my gf.

We have a pair of box turtles (a three-toed male, and an ornate female). They are both healthy little guys, and we were kinda hoping to mate them. The male is READY. The female, however, doesn't want anything to do with him (typical), and since he doesn't know how to give up, she has ended up biting him so we would intervene.

Anyone have any tips on getting an female ornate box turtle to give it up?

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