Mine was a RES with the plastic lagoon and palm tree. It didn't last long I think a few weeks. Would find soft shells when camping but only kept them while we camped then set them loose. My first tort was a DT named Clyde. Had a hole in his carapace that my dad filled with “Shoe Goo” (a type of silicone I think but made for sneakers). He lived in the back yard but hibernated under my brothers’ bed. When Clyde would go under my brothers bed my mom would move the bed and cover him with a cardboard box. When we saw the cardboard box roaming around the house we knew Clyde was up and spring was here. Clyde disappeared from the yard one day and was never found. We had Clyde about 7 years.
What great memories.. I remember when I was a kid we found water turtles that just hatched out sunning I guess, My mom let us keep two, then I decided to let mine go back in the pond a few days later, and my sisters bit her and escaped into the pond a few days after that, she cried and I was happy. We had a lot of turtles in the lake and the pond behind our house. I don't know what kid they were though,
awesome story terryo. I want to ecourage you to submit that to reptiles magizine in the back they have the "living with reptiles" section every month. Try getting a picture of frank
there are some great stories on this thread! nice job everyone
My first turtle was a Carolina Box Turtle that was brought into the animal hospital I worked for. It was about 9 years ago. There were several brought in because of HBC (hit by car). I didn't feel like they were being tended properly on my days off cause the other techs weren't intersested in non-dog/cat critters. So I asked the vet if I could bring them home along with their meds and take care of them here. It was agreed if any were able to be released that I had to do it. Sammy was my first. He was adult. When he saw me going toward his enclosure with the fishworm container he would stand up on the side like he was a puppy. I kept him a little over a year. I sure hated to let him go. He zoomed off when I turned him loose, but turned around about 10' away & looked at me as tho he was saying bye. Made me cry. I still have rehabs, including Billie Box who will stay with me. A dog took his eye out. He is 3.5". I've had him over a yr.
Patsy
emysemys@pacbell.net Wrote:terryo Wrote:jenrell23 Wrote:My first were 5 boxies!!
When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, a hundred years ago, for as long as I could remember there was a box turtle living in our yard.
What a great story! Your dad taught you a wonderful lesson and what a lucky turtle!
Yvonne
Since she said what I was going to write:
Yah, what Yvonne wrote!!
My first turtle was the Red Eared Slider from the dime store. Brought him home in the Chinese take out type white box and proudly placed him in his plastic lagoon with palm tree. We had him for months before he went blind, the shell went soft and he died. Still have the lagoon.
The first tortoise was actually my first pair of Bells Hingebacks. Know that was well over 15 years ago. I still have the male Dong. Ding the female and their offspring were given away, not sure if they are still alive or not.
Jacqui Wrote:emysemys@pacbell.net Wrote:terryo Wrote:jenrell23 Wrote:My first were 5 boxies!!
When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, a hundred years ago, for as long as I could remember there was a box turtle living in our yard.
What a great story! Your dad taught you a wonderful lesson and what a lucky turtle!
Yvonne
Since she said what I was going to write:
Yah, what Yvonne wrote!!
Thanks...he was a great person and taught me lessons I will never forget..he respected all living things. He was always in trouble ...fighting for the underdog, weather it was a human or an animal. I miss him so much.
Red-ear Sliders kept in Death Bowls purchased from the department store Arlens in the mid '60's. My first tortoise was from them as well and was a Greek. It escaped the cinderblock 'pen' I made it, which was probably a whole 3' square or so.
Ah the innocent days of youth happily killing pets because you, your parents, and the pet store guys did not know any better!
Unfortunatley.. its not the 'good ole days'. it may have been when we were young.. but there are new generations coming up behind us all the time.. Education is the key..
of course its a little better, since the pet stores for the most part are better.. but we have a ways to go. thank goodness for the internet and forums!!
Mine was an Alligator Snapping turtle, Ive been hooked on them ever since I got this book as a kid about reptiles, and it had a real big fold-out page with a huge picture of a hunting Alligator snapper.
It's been my favorite turtle ever since.
