June turtle pictures (9 pics)

strange_wings

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
I was able to get several nice pictures while I was out weighing and measuring my babies in the pen earlier/yesterday.



The bigest one at 3.4inches (8.5cms), a brown eyed girl, eating an earthworm.


After she finished the worm she was begging for another and actually followed me across the pen. I have higher quality version of this on my desktop at the moment.


The left is making an odd face. ..I wonder if the camera might have spooked her.





(big girl's plastron) Plastron picture, this is what they look like on the bottom. And no, they do not like being flipped over for pictures.




Their pen

From the front. The lids are to keep out cats (who would think it was a big litter box) and the opossum that's sometimes around.


left side


right side

Unfortunately the little brats are quite good at burying and hiding themselves in the pen. I was only able to find 7 out of 8.
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
VERY kewl pics/./// Hummm thinks I might have to take a trip to OK
 

catsallover

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
2,194
Purraise
5
Location
Alabama
Oh, melt my heart!!! They are so cute!
I love your enclosure, too- I had to show it to my dh "See, this is the kind of thing I had in mind..."
Didn't think about doing the "ponds" like that, though- looks a lot nicer than the pan I had in mind
!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

strange_wings

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
Thanks everyone

Originally Posted by catsallover

Oh, melt my heart!!! They are so cute!
I love your enclosure, too- I had to show it to my dh "See, this is the kind of thing I had in mind..."
Didn't think about doing the "ponds" like that, though- looks a lot nicer than the pan I had in mind
!
Oh, a couple of them know they're cute, little beggars they to take advantage of me.

It's a simple enclosure. You can get as fancy as you want as long as you do two basic things, bury it at least 2 foot or more in the ground (because boxies dig) and make sure they can't climb. The 'ponds' are plastic paint trays, cheap and I can replace them if I need to. For my adult male I just have a plain tray with two flat rocks in it, easier to clean. The babies are smaller and I worried they might have problems getting out, so I lined them with cloth screen and added some rocks.

Originally Posted by Taurus77

Why do you like turtles?
For the same reason I like cats, I just do.
If you can't tell by the second picture, they really do have a lot of personality. Yesterday while feeding them that turtle was following me around and was very fascinated with my shoes.
 

stormy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 7, 2003
Messages
10,359
Purraise
21
Location
NJ
Cute little turtles!!
Love the enclosure...will have to try and get one together for Shelly. Was that hard to put together?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

strange_wings

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
Originally Posted by stormy

Was that hard to put together?
DH did the cutting, seeing as I'm accident prone, it was safer to let him do that part...
I dug, screwed the rest of it together, and buried it again.
The lids DH and I did together. Again, cut, screw together, staple on wire mesh.
Simple enough but a bit tiring.


For an adult turtle, you may not need a lid if you do not have any real predators or dogs in your area to worry about.
 

mooficat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 3, 2006
Messages
7,610
Purraise
2
Location
Brits Abroad - In Spain
wow look at those critters
their shells have amazing patterns - love the 1st one, looks like that fella is really enjoying that worm
 

asecretk

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 16, 2006
Messages
639
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
Originally Posted by strange_wings

I was able to get several nice pictures while I was out weighing and measuring my babies in the pen earlier/yesterday.



After she finished the worm she was begging for another and actually followed me across the pen. I have higher quality version of this on my desktop at the moment.
Can you post the high quality one here or send it to me in PM? I would love to put that on my desktop


That enclosure is great! I only have one painted turtle in a tank. I was thinking of building her something outside so she could enjoy the sunshine.

The BF is refurbishing the deck right now so I want to wait until he is done before I create something.
 

twstychik

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
5,720
Purraise
4
Location
Northern IN
Are you able to keep them out there year round? I'm not sure what seasons are like in your area and that's something I'd love to do if I ever had turtles but they would have to come in in the winter I would think.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

strange_wings

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
Originally Posted by twstychik

Are you able to keep them out there year round? I'm not sure what seasons are like in your area and that's something I'd love to do if I ever had turtles but they would have to come in in the winter I would think.
I kept the babies inside last summer and winter. But yes, they will be staying outside this winter. At their growth rate, 8 of them will take up more space then I have in the house.


Oklahoma is hot, dry, and hot. With late May and June being the 'rainy' season. Winters are mild with very little snow, we're lucky if we get an inch. But overall dry winters as well.
This sub species is adapted perfectly for this area, it can withstand warmer temps (and adjusts to morning/nightly foraging), eats more insects than plants... since in the summer months a lot of plants naturally go dormant, and the humidity is always low.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...nearlawton.jpg
says it all


Whether you could keep a more adapted subspecies to your area depends on the type of turtle. Eastern box turtles and Three toeds can handle more humidity in summer and winter with less chance of getting sick from it. I'm not 100% sure, but eastern boxes may be protected in your state.
 
Top