Our new Turtle Raphael

[moyer777]

Yes, it's true.  My daughter got a new turtle.  His name is Raphael.

here is his picture. (s)







Here is Catherine's report on Turtles. :)

Turtles

by Catherine Moyer2/26/09

I just got a turtle named Raphael and he is very cute. He is a red eared aquatic turtle. He eats raw meat, dried crickets, worms and turtle food but they can eat plants
and vegetables if they want. Lately my turtle isn't eating.  I think it might be a little scared me and a little home sick.

He lives in an aquarium tank and has to have a heater and heat lamp. He has a big log, a lot of small rocks, and a couple of big rocks. He has to stand on his toes to get air or he climbs one of the things in the tank.



My cats really are curious of him and like to sit on my chair and watch him. I think all of my family likes Raphael a lot. He sure is cute. We have a little container he eats in because we don't want to get the tank dirty. He is very fast for a turtle. I always thought that they were really slow but they can run really fast.

The Red eared slider turtle is most popular in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, the U.K., and Japan.  They originated in the United states by the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. They are all over the world now because of pet trade.  Turtles in the wild hibernate. They usually hibernate when it is really cold like lower then 50*F. They go under water when they hibernate.  I don't know how long exactly they stay under but I think they stay under for a few months.

These turtles love to swim and are really good at it too. My turtle is very cute he has so much detail to him. He has these big circles on his tummy and he has all this detail that is kind of hard to explain. I just tried to take some pics of Raph and I don't think he liked it to much. I don't think I'd like too much if a giant came and started having something flash in my face either.

Like I said before that they have to have heaters and heat lamps or else the turtle will most likely die. This is because of them being cold blooded and can not produce heat. So the heater and lamp give the turtle heat to live. My turtle's heater broke so yesterday me and my dad went and got a heater at the store. They cost a different price for each size you want, ours cost about $20.00.

I have loved having a turtle so far, but they are a lot of work and money. I have only had Raph for about three days and it has been fun but there will probably be some difficulty's with it but it will be ok, that's what happens when you have a pet.

[wraith1701]

Cool.  I used to have a couple of red-eared sliders when I was younger.  Very pretty turtles. :)

[sheldor]

Raphael - how original ;D   Pretty colors but why is frowning ?

[moyer777]

We got him from a guy who loved Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles.  :)  He is frowning cause he won't eat.  :( hopefully he will adjust and start chomping his dried crickets and carrots.

[sheldor]

YUM !!!

[Rico]

Cool!  Turtles are very interesting I've always thought - even the non-irradiated kind.   ;)

[Dangelus]

Very cute!

[Feathers]

Turtles need to be cleaned out...or the smell is awful!

They're fascinating creatures to watch though I always thought they were quite shy.

[Jen]

Oooooo a Red-eared Slider. We have those in the rivers here in Texas. I use to sell them at a pet store I worked at in college. My Nana has one she named "Scooter". She takes that guy to the vet if he looks at her funny. :D  Nana put her Chinese Fighting Fish (also called a Beta) into the aquarium with her turtle, thinking they would live together in harmony. She was surprise when the fish disappeared. I told her the turtle ate it. That's what they do. Eat fish. ;)   One thing we had to tell people at the pet store is that they can carry salmonella, so make sure you was your hands really good after you handle them.

[iceman]

Very Nice

[sheldor]

Cool!  Turtles are very interesting I've always thought - even the non-irradiated kind.   ;)

Now where did I put that case of plutonium ??

[KingIsaacLinksr]

How cute!  Always good to get a new pet. 

King

[ElfManDan]

I had a turtle when I was little. Fun little pets.