How old were you when...

How old were you when you got your first tortoise/turtle? When did it become an "addition"/hobby for you?

I'll start:
I was in diapers. Grew up with them and many other animals as a kid. Mostly because my parents had owned a pet shop back in the day. My real addiction began when I was around 14, though!

_________
~ Shelly ~

5 years old. Had box turtles named after the ninja turtles. Got real heavy into them at 13. I'm 28 maybe 27 years old now. I Dont remember my age actually. Ha. But yeah.

I've been around them from day one with family members who have had tortoises. I purchased my first turtle with my lawn mowing money at age 11 and so that's when I would say it officially started, although I've always had an interest in them.

I'll be 31 this year so I guess I should celebrate my 20th anniversary.

I was about 7 or 8. My first box turtle was not appreciated by my mom who gave it to a family friend. There it stayed for about 30 years. Then the family friend was getting older and I got him back!

Hmm...well, I got my first hatchlings about a year ago, so I was 31. I've always loved tortoises as long as I can remember, but growing up in Canada, I didn't think it was fair to keep one. Now that I live in a tropical country, I can't imagine NOT having tortoises...my obsession is insane. I love my little guys (and will be getting my big guy / girl soon).

I have loved Turtles and Torts since I can remember. I didn't get one of my very own until I was in my late 30's.

Probably since I was around 7 I have always played with turtles, snake, frogs, toads, crawfish, you name it, on weekends when we would go fishing. Always loved them always wanted them. Had a few turtles in the past. But got my first tortoise 2 1/2 years ago when I got Tatum.

When I was first married in the late '50's tortoises were very abundant in our part of Fresno, Calif. I think people used to bring them home from the desert. We found them walking down the street all the time. We'd just toss them in the back yard with no thought of trying to find their owner.

I didn't really have what you would call the 'bug' though until my son gave me his collection of desert tortoise and box turtles in the '70's. I had matured enough at that time to realize I needed to learn how to care for these creatures.

My first experiences were with those red eared sliders during their craze in the early 60's. Brought mine home in one of those white cartons Chinese food goes in from Woolworth's. I still have my first enclosure... the plastic oval turtle tank with it's own Island and palm tree (except these days the palm tree is broken off).

Growing up during my elementary years, I was always going off to the local zoo to go back into their cold, dark reptile room. There lived two Galapagos tortoises. Those living dinosaurs captured my imagination and heart.

As an adult I got into them deeper thanks to my children, especially my eldest one. They have all grown up and moved away/gone to college, so now I don't even have them to use as an excuse any more.

My tenth birthday

I'm a late bloomer.... I rescued Walter just 8 months ago..... I'm 50.

I got ,y first tittle when I was 6 with my allowance. I got a few more. They were res and miss map. I got into tortoises when I was 9. Now I have a lot off them..

I got a map turtle when I was 7 or 8, I forget, had him for a while and then he passed, after that I stayed away from turtles until my 16th birthday I bought 2 russians that I still have today, I am 27 now. The newest 5 however were all from this year.

23

I fell in love with them right away young from turtles randomly crawling up from the woods to the house. My mom was dead set against pets. I had to beg and beg for turtle. I finally got one when I was 14.

Pretty much from there it became addiction. Almost 11 years later were up to 20 turtles.

I don't remember ever NOT having a box turtle. My Dad had them before I was born, so I grew up with them. He was a gardener, and loved nature. When I was a little girl, we spent many hours in the woods sitting under a tree just , as he would put it, watching and listening to nature. We had no internet or any way to know how to take care of our box turtles, so that's how he said you learn, by watching them in the woods. First make a beautiful garden, he said, and then put your turtles in. Keep it as natural as you can so they will be happy. He was my hero and I miss him so much. People always brought him a sick turtle or one that they found, which would make him very mad when they took the turtles out of the woods. My oldest turtle that was my Dad's just died a few years ago. He was well over 65 years old. He never came up from hibernation.

22! Actually, Morgan is an early birthday gift, I turn 23 in a couple months. I love my little guy, but I think he'll be happy enough being all on his lonesome, so no full blown addiction for me I think. I could definitely see why people love to have torts and torts galore! They are awesome creatures.

I was 45!! I've only been asking for years!! That and an easy bake oven. I never did get that!

morloch said:

I was 45!! I've only been asking for years!! That and an easy bake oven. I never did get that!

Click to expand...

LOL!

I'm with Jaqui. My first turtle was when I was about 4 or 5 and it was a dime store turtle from Woolworths with the plastic container and little island. My next turtle is one of my Boxies I still have here today. I purchased it over 20 years ago for our Son who kept trying to keep wild lizards and bugs as pets in his room in an aquarium. He was so broken hearted every time they would die and wouldn't let me tell him "No, they will die". So I decided it was time for something he could care for forever. Uh huh, yep Mom is caring for her still. LOL Much like the teddy bear collection, I blamed on the kids.

Jaqui, can we find those little containers today? would make for a cute soaking tub for my hatchlings. Hmmmm

---

Whooohoooo! Found the little container with the palm tree island!! http://www.turtlesale.com/home/index.php?page=island-lagoons