Three-Striped Mud Turtles: BOLD & PINSTRIPE

Pastel Tortie

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Now that Pinstripe is a respectable 2.5 inches SCL (straight carapace length), I am more willing to try some "tough love" with our picky turtle. Okay, so it's more like "tough love" LITE.

I'm trying to get Pinstripe to accept at least some (or even one!) of the various commercial diets / pellets. So... I'm still offering Bold and Pinstripe turtle pellets daily, but I've been backing off on the frequency of the live foods that Pinstripe prefers.

Bold happily eats the pellets, so at least that mitigates Pinstripe (and me) having to contend with her hangry, larger tankmate. Otherwise, tough love would not be an option. I offer plenty of pellets for both turtles, so it isn't a matter of Bold eating all the food before Pinstripe gets any. That's never been an issue.

Of course, Pinstripe won't eat the pellets initially presented and instead holds out, hoping for live food (or frozen, or dried, formerly-live food) later. It used to be that some of Pinstripe's preferred foods would appear later in the day, usually several hours later. Now, however, sometimes there's just an offering of other pellets later.

My tough love LITE has resulted in SOME promising developments... I think. Pinstripe will at least try (taste) the commercial diet pellets. Eating them is another matter. I don't think Pinstripe wants to let me see her breaking down and actually EATING the pellets, so I have to be sneaky about observing what she does with the pellets. I don't often get an unobstructed view.

All that being said, in the past few days, I have observed Pinstripe ingesting pellets, or parts of pellets, here and there. She doesn't want me to know that she CAN eat pellets (at least a little bit) when she's hungry enough.

It's all a work in progress.
 

Moozillion

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Now that Pinstripe is a respectable 2.5 inches SCL (straight carapace length), I am more willing to try some "tough love" with our picky turtle. Okay, so it's more like "tough love" LITE.

I'm trying to get Pinstripe to accept at least some (or even one!) of the various commercial diets / pellets. So... I'm still offering Bold and Pinstripe turtle pellets daily, but I've been backing off on the frequency of the live foods that Pinstripe prefers.

Bold happily eats the pellets, so at least that mitigates Pinstripe (and me) having to contend with her hangry, larger tankmate. Otherwise, tough love would not be an option. I offer plenty of pellets for both turtles, so it isn't a matter of Bold eating all the food before Pinstripe gets any. That's never been an issue.

Of course, Pinstripe won't eat the pellets initially presented and instead holds out, hoping for live food (or frozen, or dried, formerly-live food) later. It used to be that some of Pinstripe's preferred foods would appear later in the day, usually several hours later. Now, however, sometimes there's just an offering of other pellets later.

My tough love LITE has resulted in SOME promising developments... I think. Pinstripe will at least try (taste) the commercial diet pellets. Eating them is another matter. I don't think Pinstripe wants to let me see her breaking down and actually EATING the pellets, so I have to be sneaky about observing what she does with the pellets. I don't often get an unobstructed view.

All that being said, in the past few days, I have observed Pinstripe ingesting pellets, or parts of pellets, here and there. She doesn't want me to know that she CAN eat pellets (at least a little bit) when she's hungry enough.

It's all a work in progress.
You are so, SO right to do this, Anne.
Your efforts are DEFINITELY for the good...you saw how my little Diva got about her salmon, and it was NOT in her best interest.
I applaud your "tough love LITE!":)
 

Moozillion

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(Whispering so that Bold and Pinstripe can't hear me...) Hey, Pastel Tortie- if you're thinking about an under gravel filter for a 40 gallon breeder tank, I had a dickens of a time finding one the right size, but finally had success! It's labelled as for a 50-65 gallon tank, but fits my 40 gal breeder perfectly! I got it on Amazon. Pictures below...

fullsizeoutput_a07.jpeg

fullsizeoutput_a08.jpeg
 

Pastel Tortie

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(Whispering so that Bold and Pinstripe can't hear me...) Hey, Pastel Tortie- if you're thinking about an under gravel filter for a 40 gallon breeder tank, I had a dickens of a time finding one the right size, but finally had success! It's labelled as for a 50-65 gallon tank, but fits my 40 gal breeder perfectly! I got it on Amazon. Pictures below...

View attachment 275477

View attachment 275480
Thanks, Bea! :D Definitely helpful!
 

Pastel Tortie

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I caught Pinstripe basking early this afternoon. She wasn't pleased when she discovered that the turtle paparazzi was taking pictures. ;)
WP_20190702_14_14_56_Pro.jpg
I couldn't help it. Those tiny little feet, and the anacharis across her carapace... She's so stinking cute!
 

Pastel Tortie

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OMG!!!!! LOVE THIS SHOT!!!!!:<3:
I think this is calendar-worthy!!!!
...but then MOST of your photos of Bold and Pinstripe are calendar worthy! :D
I zoomed in on that shot of Pinstripe in the tree... Is it just me, or does she look like it should be a watercolor portrait?
wp_ss_20190702_0001.png
 

Pastel Tortie

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I have to wonder... How did we ever manage to get a good look at small turtles, before digital cameras and smart phones came out with better (modern) picture resolution?? I mean, we could have gotten decent pictures, camera-wise, a couple decades or so ago, but it's quite difficult to get a mud turtle to maintain what probably feels like a "vulnerable" position long enough for a photo shoot.

I am SO glad that Bold and Pinstripe have grown as much as they have, because I'm FINALLY able to see some of those tiny and subtle physical details. Still, if I wasn't taking pictures (or if my other half wasn't taking pictures), I wouldn't be able to review and compare those traits that distinguish each turtle.

For example, I wouldn't have noticed things like the U-shaped marking under Bold's chin that looks like a necklace. Or the folds of skin on her "wrists" when she's stretched out, basking, that look sort of like bracelets.

That's one reason I want to include and share some of these details and observations... because in some instances, it may be the first time we've had that much detail TO share, in the first place. Especially for these tiny turtles who don't hold still very well... :)
 

Moozillion

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I caught Pinstripe basking early this afternoon. She wasn't pleased when she discovered that the turtle paparazzi was taking pictures. ;)
View attachment 275825
I couldn't help it. Those tiny little feet, and the anacharis across her carapace... She's so stinking cute!
SQUEEEE!!!! YOUR little diva is wearing an anacharis BOA!!! :p
 

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