Well while the weather is not really warm the snow and the ice is slowly melting away. I am seeeing more and more patches of yard appearing. This time of year is so sloppy and yucky though. I really find it distasteful. There is one nice thing, my turtles are waking.
I run a turtle rescue. I know to some of you that must seem a little strange. But Red Ear Slidders are not native to my area but they are a popular pet.
So that means there are lots of these poor critters that are in need of a home. Many people buy them when they are no bigger than a quarter thinking they will stay small. Yea right, these get the size of a dinner plate. So here they have two or three attempting to live in a twenty gallon tank and the females get aggressive and territorial as they get bigger and these turtles live to be 15-20 years old. So needless to say I have my hands full. I take them in and get them back in shape and try to find homes for them. Usually I have to ship them out to people with ponds in the lower states. I have a pond myself. It is hard because I have to keep it heated all year. I do let these guys hibernate and that is where we are at now. They have been waking up. As of yesterday they are all awake now and they are hungry. They eat lots of veggies like carrot peels, apple peels, napa cabbage and romaine lettuce. With an occasional worm thrown in. In the wild they eat duck weed and plants that grow in streams and ponds. They are mostly vegetarian (70%) But they do like pieces of fish, bugs and worms(yummy). So I spent most of the day making sure they had plenty to eat. Like I said, the females are agressive as they are older and especially when they are hungry I don't want them picking on the little turtles. In a small pond like I have, the little ones have no where to run.
So right now I have two little ones in the house in a tank and 8 adults and juvies in the pond outside. I have 6 more on a waiting list when the weather warms that are waiting for me to ship them in as their owners don't want them anymore. So if any of you want a turtle and live in an area that these guys are native and you have a pond area that can sustain them and you would like to adopt one. Let me know. My email is lil red rooster @ bresnan.net just squish it all back together. | 
• March 3, 2006 - Untitled Comment