Articles About Orchids
 
   I receive many questions about my turtles. The most common questions asked are:
What kind are they?
   I have two different species of Terrapins or "Box" turtles, a Three Toed Box Turtle and the others are Eastern Box Turtles.
How many do you have?
   There are five or six of them living in my greenhouse.
Where did you get them, from a pet store?
    No, I didn't buy any of them. I have "collected" them over the years from people who drop off their children's pets for me to care for after the child (or parent) is tired of them. Turtle care is a long-term proposition! They can live for decades with the proper care. Murtle will be with me 27 years this year (2007).
   The saddest thing I see are people who buy these wonderful creatures for children that harm and even kill them because they think the creatures are a toy to be played with and parents usually do not know how to care for them either.

    Box turtles are one of the most neglected turtles that are sold in the pet shops today. Turtles need more than just a piece of lettuce or the little bits of canned turtle food. I feed mine earth worms, tomatoes, oranges, banana strawberries and many other types of fruit. Meal worms are also added to ther diet and, of course, in the greenhouse, they will catch anything that may crawl by such as an unsuspecting insect, snail or slug.
   They always have a pan of water for them which they enjoy sitting in.
    To keep them healty, I give them vitamins, eye drops, and regular visits to the vet. Murtle caught a terrible cold one year and I had to gave her shots of antibiotic daily for a week. She wasn't too crazy about that, but I can run faster than her! Have you ever tried to give a turtle a shot?
   Please, if you decide to get a turtle (or any other living creature for that matter) first buy a book or search the Internet and learn how to care for them!
   In my greenhouse they all bury in the sand around November and hibernate until late February or early March. Murtle has been with us since 1981.
   George was given to Mom, her girlfriend's grandson had him and would not take care of him.
    After the Red-eared slider, the Mississippi saw back is the most popular kind of turtle. He started out in a 2 gallon aquarium, moved to a 5 gallon, moved to a 10 gallon and now his home is a 30 gallon aquarium.
   George is from the family Emydidae of Freshwater turtles. He is a Mississippi sawback turtle which are found in the Southern part of the United States, especially in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
   We are beginning to think that George is Georgette since the female can be recognized by her size, she can grow to be about 27 cm long, whereas the males will not grow to be any longer than 15 cm. George is now almost 17 cm which is big for a male.
   We feed him pellets that are specially formulated for turtles, which he loves.
Click here and read more about my turtles!
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