Small story about my box turtles

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Maggie Cummings

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IMG_2184.JPG IMG_2184.JPG IMG_2124.JPG IMG_2158.JPG IMG_2172.JPG IMG_2167.JPG IMG_2168.JPG IMG_2170.JPG IMG_2152.JPG [ I have been trying to show you the white skin, green head and red eyes of my female Ornata. Mostly just to prove to some that it's not only males with that coloring. But she is aware of the camera and closes up...however, she can't resist a worm. BTW she only has 3 legs... IMG_2184.JPG Isn't she pretty? She's another easy keeper too.
Now to Bright Eyes, my blind female Ornata. (most of my animals are special needs) I think she was my first box turtle, but maybe Yvonne can remember. How many times to we really get to see a turtle actually soundly sleeping?
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Because she's blind I just don't put her outside because I'm worried it might stress her out or scare her. So I normally just put out the other 8. But this was a beautiful sunny day and I left all the others in and out her out for the first time. Look at this picture...
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I should have been smart enough to use this as a warning, but I didn't...
The next time I checked on her, she was high-centered on the spout of a tea pot...
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The next time she was just checking things out.
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Every year that I have had her she has laid unfertile eggs. Her habitat substrate is too shallow actually for that, so she puts herself in the trance and just digs on the glass bottom for hours. So I brought in a 300 gallon aquarium (no easy feat), filled it with top soil, sand and yard dirt about 1 1/2' deep. That has served her well. But last year no eggs, and I wanted that big ole thing out of the Dale Earnhardt Memorial Worship Room, so I got a tote, now remember, my right hand does not work, and I carried totes full of heavy soil out to the yard, I would check on her every time...
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She's just chillin, another load of dirt. So anyway, it took me a couple of hours to do this. Now the darned thing is empty and still heavy as s***.
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So I get the hand cart, awkward as all get out. This is a big heavy glass 300 gallon tank...out thru the house, down the stairs, oops, almost dropped it. Into the storage shed. Whew made it. So I go to check on Bright Eyes and she's GONE!
Not one of the other 8, eight, box turtles has escaped, but the blind one does. Go figure. Anyhow, my yard is completely fenced so I start looking...Not yet panicked, so I find her visiting in with Queenie, the Hermanni. Glad as heck, so I take her inside and plop down on the couch. Tired, that aquarium and dirt kicked my butt. After a bit I figure she might need a drink and a worm, but NOOOO, she's in the trance digging a damn nest!!! Holy cow. I am NOT gonna haul that big tank back inside this time, so for the next 2 hours I escape proof the box turtle pen, water it down and dig it up so it will be easier for her to make a nest there. I put her outside the next day in that hard-worked pen and does she dig a nest, of course not, she basks all day. So if I were a man, I would shake my head and say...women!
So I guess I should get dressed, cuz I see the sun is up, and I'm going to change another room around, cut more branches off my neighbors cherry tree that are hanging over my skylight, (yes Virginia, I DO climb up on the roof), me and Marvin Gaye, but most of you are probably too young to know what I' talking about...
I hope you enjoyed my little story and I will close by showing you how my Eastern box turtle Ginger sleeps.
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Now my sincere thought is that I have worked very hard to put the pictures in th correct places in the story, and I am about to push 'post' so keep your fingers crossed, because if it doesn't work the way I planed it, your're just gonna have to read it all caddiewhompas...here goes, well darn, it didn't work and I got lots of pictures. And I just can't tell a good story with the pictures all in a line. And I can't seem to fix it...I'm so sorry...
 
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bouaboua

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WOW!!!

You are doing all this with one hand??? No.....I got your story Maggie. She is a lovely torts and you do her well.

Bless you heart and get well soon.
 

Yvonne G

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It took me a while to figure out the picture thing too. Don't worry about it. You should know by now that they never do what you want or expect them to do. Do you have a male ornata? As long as Bright Eyes is going to lay eggs you might as well let her fertilize them.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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It took me a while to figure out the picture thing too. Don't worry about it. You should know by now that they never do what you want or expect them to do. Do you have a male ornata? As long as Bright Eyes is going to lay eggs you might as well let her fertilize them.
No, my only male is a 3-toed...
 

mikeh

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Even blind, she will utilize all her other senses to recognize a natural outdoor environment as much as any other turtle does. She seems quite alert and content being outside, not to mention health benefits that go along with it. Bring her out more often:)
 

Yvonne G

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...but because she depends upon the braille method of motating, and not her sight, turtle-proof that pen!!
 
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Maggie Cummings

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YvonneG...I did that already. I moved out anything she can climb on and put a 'shelf' all the way around on top of the fencing. She's stuck with me baby!
Even blind, she will utilize all her other senses to recognize a natural outdoor environment as much as any other turtle does. She seems quite alert and content being outside, not to mention health benefits that go along with it. Bring her out more often:)
Plan on doing just that...thanks for the interest...
 

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