New turtle friend

[Angel Carrion]

Hello, y'all.

I became a new turtle friend when I had a box turtle 'dumped' on me. I'm loving it. He is so awesome! My little Splinter is so personable! He likes to cuddle up against my neck and nap when I need to move him out of his enclosure while the neighbor mowed his lawn (I was worried the noise would bother him since his enclosure is almost on the property line)

 

[tortdad]

Welcome, got any pics of Splinter

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Angel

Box turtles rule !

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and Welcome to the forum. Good to have you here ! ! !

 

[Angel Carrion]

The enclosures pictured are now secure, these were taken as I was still making them. Him in the kiddy pool was so he could wade around chasing small fish which he greatly enjoyed, he walked around blowing bubbles then lifting his head and looking at me then climbing up on the rock for a little sunbathing and break.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome.
Tortoises don't hear noises the same way that we do and they don't get scared by them.
However a lawnmower throws out small objects that could hurt the little ones eyes. So being near a lawnmower should be avoided for several reasons.
BTW, I love the turtle garden.

 

[johnandjade]

wee sgarden of eden you got there! great job

 

[Gillian M]

Welcome.
Tortoises don't hear noises the same way that we do and they don't get scared by them.
However a lawnmower throws out small objects that could hurt the little ones eyes. So being near a lawnmower should be avoided for several reasons.
BTW, I love the turtle garden.

Torts only feel vibrations but do not hear.

Lovely isn't it?

 

[Gillian M]

The enclosures pictured are now secure, these were taken as I was still making them. Him in the kiddy pool was so he could wade around chasing small fish which he greatly enjoyed, he walked around blowing bubbles then lifting his head and looking at me then climbing up on the rock for a little sunbathing and break.

Love the pics. GOD bless.

And a very warm welcome to the forum.

 

[4jean]

Welcome! Love your turtle habitat!

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[Momof4]

Welcome!! It looks like he is settling in nicely! What is his back story?

 

[Angel Carrion]

Thank you, everyone!! The method of which they hear is good to know, since I always worry when the neighbor has his landscaping crew come over and work on his yard. Which is why I tend to move him to the really big veggie garden on the other side of my property when they come. But I'll likely keep doing that anyway to prevent anything being kicked up at him from their lawnmower. When I told them about my turtle, the crew became really excited and watched me feed him and laughed at the swallowing noises he makes. (By the way, anyone else's torties/turtles make a cutely weird noise while eating?) They all said they would be careful when working near the enclosure, so I'm glad my neighbor uses their company because all the guys seem to really like animals.
I actually found him literally on my front step one morning. He was breathing heavily and had bright orange paint all over his shell that matched his markings and eye color, along with a nice chunk missing behind his head and a few semi-deep cracks along his carapace. At first I thought he was a wild boxie that someone decided to be a jerk to and paint, but his shell worried me, so I picked him up and took him to a well-known reptile vet in my area. My original plan was to have her look at his shell and tell me if he needed help, or if he was okay and I could just put him back. That was shot down when she informed me that he showed signs of long term improper captivity and had been someones pet that they released. She said it was most likely impossible that he got loose and 'ran away' because he showed signs of long term improper light sourcing which implies he was an inside turtle. She also said he had malnutrition, but was overweight, which she said can happen if they fed him 'turtle junk food' and nothing nutritious. He also was starting to pyramid, his shell was flaky but not in the my-shell-is-about-to-shed way, his pigmentation was fading in some spots, and he needed his nails trimmed. Before I found him, I knew very very little about how to properly take care of turtles. I learned real quick by doing a ton of research and writing down everything I needed to know inside what I have now dubbed as my 'turtle notebook emporium' since I've already filled one notebook and have now filled another one halfway. I asked the vet if she thought I could release him since I knew his species is native to my state, but she told me that since he showed signs of long-term captivity I should not release him because he could have a disease or illness that isn't negatively affecting him but could wipe out boxie populations in my area, and he might not have any wild instincts left (if he was wild caught) or at all (if he was captive bred). She did also say he was an adult, but couldn't give me an approximate age beyond that. I've heard of the 'count the ridges' aging method, but I've also heard it is unreliable since it's not age that causes them, but growth spurts which happen more than once a year and are dependent on how accessible food is.
I swear animals must have marked my property as the place to go if they want food/shelter or need help, because for some reason all the animals that need medical attention or shelter or food end up on my front lawn or literally at my front door. Various cats, dogs, rats, hurt birds, hurt snakes, hurt frogs, a big-*** wild common snapper with an infected wound (took him to a wildlife rehab place that fixed him up, then I took him back and released him across the street from my house. I still see him sometimes, seems happy), baby squirrels, etc. Most of the time I try to find the domestic animals good homes, but sometimes they end up staying here.

 

[johnandjade]

thats one lucky turtle! sounds like he/she has won the lottery, hats off to you! its nice to hear a story with a happy end

 

[Angel Carrion]

thats one lucky turtle! sounds like he/she has won the lottery, hats off to you! its nice to hear a story with a happy end

Thank you.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I'm no expert on this species, but it sounds to me as if your vet knew what they were talking about (which is not nearly always the case).
Tortoises DO hear, but not on the same frequencies that we do, though we do overlap at the bottom end. They will also feel the vibration.
hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum, I have the feeling you're going to be an excellent turtle mom.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Thank you

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thank you

ha! ha!
Thank YOU!

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[kathyth]

Very nice! You take great care of your box turtle!