Discussion
Wow! I've got one of them! I got it in 1990 and his (her, actually, she lays eggs!) shell was about 1.5 inches across. The shell is now over a foot across (and the neck stretches about the same) and she has outgrown several tanks. She now occupies a 7'x 2.5' tank. Loves prawns/bacon/pate (various types)/chicken and the occasional tasty human finger.
Craves attention - who wouldn't after being stuck all that time in a tank. Enjoys runs around the garden when it's warm. I have been known to lob her in the pond with the koi
Craves attention - who wouldn't after being stuck all that time in a tank. Enjoys runs around the garden when it's warm. I have been known to lob her in the pond with the koi
Oh, and I forgot to say....
I can't tell how big yours is - about six inches (fnarr!) by the look of it.
Mine gets grumpy sometimes and will smash up heaters and crunch up glass thermometers. Putting little armoured guards around the heaters doesn't work - they just get trashed too - thick plastic is no match for their 'beaks' - they can cut through a jumbo cable tie like they have pliers!
Another favourite pastime of the pesky bugger is what we call "pretend hungry". This is when the pest acts like she's really hungry, so then you go and get the food and lob it in. Turtle swims up looks at food disdainfully and swims off. Argh! Also you are expected to divine by ESP or something exactly what they want to eat - prawns? pate? Which brand of pate? Finest Brussels pate or Tesco Value? I'm not taking the piss - when your turtle becomes a teenager all these delights will await you.
Also it will bury itself under the gravel/sand - sometimes all you can see if you look very carefully will be the nostrils sticking out - or other times the nect will be fully extended to the surface, like a snorkel. People will think you own some sort of aquatic snake. You can sometimes feed the turtle when it's buried like this; we call it "breakfast in bed".
It will climb out of it's big box when you're driving it to the vets and knock your car into neutral.
Oh - and I recommend Eheim Professional pumps, otherwise you'll be doing a lot of cleaning
I can't tell how big yours is - about six inches (fnarr!) by the look of it.
Mine gets grumpy sometimes and will smash up heaters and crunch up glass thermometers. Putting little armoured guards around the heaters doesn't work - they just get trashed too - thick plastic is no match for their 'beaks' - they can cut through a jumbo cable tie like they have pliers!
Another favourite pastime of the pesky bugger is what we call "pretend hungry". This is when the pest acts like she's really hungry, so then you go and get the food and lob it in. Turtle swims up looks at food disdainfully and swims off. Argh! Also you are expected to divine by ESP or something exactly what they want to eat - prawns? pate? Which brand of pate? Finest Brussels pate or Tesco Value? I'm not taking the piss - when your turtle becomes a teenager all these delights will await you.
Also it will bury itself under the gravel/sand - sometimes all you can see if you look very carefully will be the nostrils sticking out - or other times the nect will be fully extended to the surface, like a snorkel. People will think you own some sort of aquatic snake. You can sometimes feed the turtle when it's buried like this; we call it "breakfast in bed".
It will climb out of it's big box when you're driving it to the vets and knock your car into neutral.
Oh - and I recommend Eheim Professional pumps, otherwise you'll be doing a lot of cleaning
Edited by Orb the Impaler on Monday 18th August 22:12
king a turtle.
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