CL adds around Philadelphia, PA (some go into Delaware)

[Angel Carrion]

I was on craigslist looking through the animal sections to see if there was a ramp or such for my dog to get in and out of the car easier, and I found a bunch of turtle postings. None of these are mine, I don't post on CL, just browse it sometimes.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pet/5119779236.html
This one doesn't say what kind of turtle, but I'm assuming water turtle since they said "tank" and "keeps getting bigger"

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pet/5075298899.html
Tank with water turtle included, $30 total

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pet/5114660175.html
Two RES $60 for both

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pet/5113780615.html
This person has 5 RES but wants to sell 2-3 because they all don't fit in their tank. $15 each or 3 for $10 each

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pet/5063395003.html
$35 used pond pump, was used for a 300 gal. pond

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pet/5065063953.html
Yet another RES. $50 for set up

http://delaware.craigslist.org/pet/5118386388.html
Another RES. This person sounds like a good turtle caregiver that really wants a good home for him, though

http://reading.craigslist.org/pet/5087561746.html
Free YBS

http://lancaster.craigslist.org/pet/5113450807.html
RES

http://delaware.craigslist.org/pet/5097793341.html
free RES with everything included

http://allentown.craigslist.org/pet/5119649258.html
RES. Includes everything but wants you to make an offer

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/pet/5071121491.html
RES

http://delaware.craigslist.org/pet/5079763781.html
A fancy species name Florida Snapper and some 4 month old sulcatas

http://delaware.craigslist.org/pet/5097612874.html
Cherry Head Tort

http://delaware.craigslist.org/pet/5061552870.html
Don't know what species, possibly YBS. Picture is of turtle hiding in shell

http://delaware.craigslist.org/pet/5016590270.html
Yet ANOTHER RES. How much you want to bet every one of these posts of RES are from Petco/Petsmart?

http://delaware.craigslist.org/pet/5048641910.html
Sulcata male/female pair babies (14 weeks)

God, so many RES. Hopefully these guys find good homes.

 

[Rutibegga]

Oof. I didn't even think to check Craigslist when I was looking for a tort. I did check petfinder, and it was Sulcatas and RES only in the immediate Philly area.

My neighbors have a RES. Maybe I can convince them to set up a second tank and adopt another one, since they're totally obsessed with Donatello. To alleviate my "can't save them all" guilt.

 

[Angel Carrion]

That would be good. Like more than half the turtles are RES. It's depressing.

 

[Rutibegga]

I don't understand why they're so popular. My neighbors bought theirs as a hatchling at he Italian Market because it was tiny and cute. He got lucky and his owners care for him, but I'd guess the majority of the turtles sold alongside him six years ago are living in dirty ten gallon aquariums or dead.

Weird aside, Donatello thinks he's a dog. He climbs his mom's legs and gets into her lap and rests his head on her hands. He comes when called when he's out of his tank. He seems to prefer being "cuddled" to exploring and begs to come out of his tank regularly.

 

[Angel Carrion]

I'm glad to hear about that with your neighbors.
So many times I see people with RES in a tiny tank that, to the person, look big, but for the turtle, it may as well be a shoe box. It's horrible. It makes me think that there should be mandatory animal husbandry classes for anyone wanting to get a pet of any kind. You know? Like have one specific to dogs, another for cats, another for rats gerbils hamsters etc clumped into one, one for rabbits and chinchillas, one for land turtles, one for water turtles, one for torts, one for tropical snakes, one for desert snakes, one for venomous, one for amphibians, etc etc. That way the person can learn at least the necessary information on the animal they are interested in before they get it. Then for each type of animal they want, they have to do a class specific for that animal. Like, want a Russian tort, first time owner? Need to take the animal husbandry for torts first. Want a MataMata, first time owner? Need to take the water turtle course first. Wouldn't that be nice?

 

[Angel Carrion]

And that is adorable with Donatello. I don't think I've heard of behavior like that with a water turtle before. Then again, before joining this site, I'd only heard of turtles and torts that ran/swam away from their people. My Splinter was the first turtle I had encountered that sought out my neck/chest/shoulder to take a nap on. I'll be holding him in my lap while sitting, he will climb his way up me to take a nap right on my left upper chest snuggled up against my shoulder. (Yes, Splinter from TMNT as well I have four rats I took in before taking in Splinter, and I named them Karai, Miwa, Hamato, and Oroku since they're female. After taking in Splinter, I thought "why not keep going and just switch the species?" So he became Splinter. But now I have four boxies, so I'm trying to mentally work that out. I think I'll name one Tang Shen, another Saki, and the last one either Irma or Venus de Milo from the short lived live action TV series that was soooo hilariously bad. Thoughts?)

 

[Rutibegga]

I work in animal care, so I have this discussion often. And I work with cats, who are fairly easy to keep happy. When I worked with cats, dogs, and exotics, I saw the results of animals living in unsuitable conditions all the time. I don't miss it, but realize I'm pretty sheltered at my current job. Heck, most of the well-loved, well-fed dogs I now don't get nearly the attention and exercise they need for their mental health (mine included, some days! This heat has been brutal for my dudes.) Reptiles and birds... I don't even know. I feel like licensure in husbandry should be required for these guys. They're not easy to care for. Their needs are very specific to their natural environment. It's really easy to mess them up.

But how can we expect that when so many people can't even care for themselves appropriately? Eh. Time to hop off my soapbox and go back to daydreaming about my future tort.

 

[Rutibegga]

But now I have four boxies, so I'm trying to mentally work that out. I think I'll name one Tang Shen, another Saki, and the last one either Irma or Venus de Milo from the short lived live action TV series that was soooo hilariously bad. Thoughts?)

You know, I watched TMNT as a kid, but never became obsessed (I was too busy being obsessed with my cats and dogs and my grandma's horses!) My pets get named off the cuff and quickly: tort is going to be Trogdor the Burninator (internet meme from 15 years ago), I have a cat named Groovy, for goodness sake! I guess what I'm saying is that I'll be of no use in helping you choose names unless you want weird names

 

[Angel Carrion]

I understand that completely. And I agree with the licensing. So many animals have a drastically shortened life span because of people not taking care of them properly. Hell, take rabbits for instance. Most people think the oldest they can get is 5 years old. In reality, rabbits live longer than dogs. Their natural life span is really 12-18 years. My grandparents had a couple that almost hit 20.
I don't know if we can accurately judge people that have pets yet can't take proper care of themselves. Only reason I say that is because I don't properly take care of myself because I honestly just don't care, but all of my animals get top notch stuff and care all the time. As it is the enclosure I have for my boxies is a good size for them because it's big enough with plenty of visual blocks that make them almost never see each other, but I'm planning on making it bigger by the end of the week so that I can do more in it. Like right now they have a semi-small plum tree that is the main focus of their enclosure, but there's two different kinds of tall fern-like weeds I planted next to the tree to create a zone around the tree that is free of vegetation but has a barrier of thick stalks for a safe buffer that only they can get through and unless you know how to look, you can't see in, so it's nice and shady and private with moist peat moss perfect for burying themselves into (this is where they all usually like to sleep), then I have parsley growing in a corner that they can munch on and hide under, two low to the ground vine-ish plants safe to munch on as well they can walk over or under, three different hides, one of which is a flower pot half buried with friable subtrate to encourage burrowing, a water dish big enough for two to fit comfortably, three with a little bit of a squeeze, rocks to climb, hills of dirt to dig into and excavate, and last time I mowed the lawn I gathered half the clippings and piled them in the enclosure mostly on the sunny side, so now they burrow and hunt in that. Even saw one gathering up and creating piles of it, then pushing it into the 'safe zone' around the tree. Have you ever heard of a turtle doing that? Because I haven't. It was very interesting to watch.

 

[Rutibegga]

Even saw one gathering up and creating piles of it, then pushing it into the 'safe zone' around the tree. Have you ever heard of a turtle doing that? Because I haven't. It was very interesting to watch.

Ha, no! But my boxie experience is limited. I had two as a teen that I didn't have room for and eventually re-homed (boo, I know, but they're still alive and kicking in the care of a former friend 20 years later. We're not friends anymore, but I stalk her FB sometimes to see photos.), and I occasionally petsit for people who have five EBTs in an outdoor enclosure. Those guys are terrified of people, though, so they usually just dive into their hides when I come by to feed them.

Hopefully my tort will be a bit more amenable to my presence. I'd be pretty bummed if he was afraid of me.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Those EBTs are most likely left on their own for the most part, the people most likely watch from a distance when feeding. I'm hoping my guys get used to me. So I tend to sit right outside the enclosure where they can see me and watch them eat. I can tell they're not pleased by it, but if it's nightcrawlers they don't care because they love nightcrawlers so much. I'm trying to get them to associate me with the arrival of the nightcrawlers by dropping only one in front of each boxie then waiting until they are done with that one before making sure they can see me dropping another nightcrawler right in front of them. Hopefully over time they'll see me and just be chill and happy with my arrival.
Maybe try something like that with your tort?

 

[Rutibegga]

Those EBTs are most likely left on their own for the most part, the people most likely watch from a distance when feeding. I'm hoping my guys get used to me. So I tend to sit right outside the enclosure where they can see me and watch them eat. I can tell they're not pleased by it, but if it's nightcrawlers they don't care because they love nightcrawlers so much. I'm trying to get them to associate me with the arrival of the nightcrawlers by dropping only one in front of each boxie then waiting until they are done with that one before making sure they can see me dropping another nightcrawler right in front of them. Hopefully over time they'll see me and just be chill and happy with my arrival.
Maybe try something like that with your tort?

That's my plan: all the good things come from me! Oh, I'll feed him his weeds and greens in a designated feeding area, but fruit is going to come directly from me, and he'll be soaked and fed with me present, so... hopefully he'll be a friendly guy.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

A lot of my crew came from Craigslist. I consider them rescues. They are certainly hardy to have survived such neglect and bad care.

 

[Angel Carrion]

That's my plan: all the good things come from me! Oh, I'll feed him his weeds and greens in a designated feeding area, but fruit is going to come directly from me, and he'll be soaked and fed with me present, so... hopefully he'll be a friendly guy.

I'm sure he will be

A lot of my crew came from Craigslist. I consider them rescues. They are certainly hardy to have survived such neglect and bad care.

It's amazing what a turtle/tortoise can survive. It's also very sad.