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.

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.