How We Got Started
In the summer of 2001, Erika and I ran across a vendor in Chinatown (NYC) selling baby turtles, and I thought they were the most adorable creatures on the planet. Erika isn’t much for pets, but even she agreed that they were cute. They weren’t much larger than a half-dollar coin, swimming around in a big bowl. Not even fifteen minutes later, we ran into a woman on the street who was carrying one home in a little plastic aquarium, and we talked with her briefly.
The next weekend, Erika went back to New York City with a friend, and she surprised me with two turtles! Neither of us knew much about turtles, but I love animals, so we started learning. Frank Sinatra & Fred Astaire, as we named them, are red-eared slider turtles: they live in the water, hop out a few hours a day to bask, and they eat both meat and plants. (We didn’t know at the time that they were both females, and I still call ‘em by the male names. I’m sure they’ll develop an identity crisis.)
In late 2002, we inherited another baby red-eared slider, Mini. She’s named for the Mini Cooper sports car that I so desperately wanted before I sat down in one. (Man, those things feel so cheap inside.)
About The Girls (Turtle Gender Confusion)
They have distinctly different personalities: Fred was outgoing, laid out on the patio most of the day, and loved to climb to the highest thing around. He loved crawling around the apartment, climbing things. When I sat on the floor, Fred would amble right over, scale my leg, and head up my chest to perch on my shoulder.
Frank, on the other hand, was low-key. He spent most of the day underwater, but he’d climb up onto the patio if there’s no movement in the room for an hour or two. When I worked (I telecommuted full time in front of the computer, right next to their tank), and I wasn’t talking to anyone on the phone, he sometimes made his way up, but not often. When I wasn’t home, though, I left my webcam focused on the tank and I saw him climb up and spend plenty of time out of the water.
When we got Mini, I decided to put more of an effort into making her more people-friendly. Frank & Fred loved me, but they didn’t exactly embrace other people. I hand-fed Mini and held her as much as I can, at least once a day. I can definitely tell the difference in the way she acted, but somehow she’s still very timid.
I often get asked how outgoing turtles are supposed to be. In a nutshell, they’re not. They’re afraid of you. It’s that wild and crazy look in your eyes. Okay, maybe not, but it’s the fact that you’re a big, quick animal, and out in the wild, you would probably be a predator. They’re programmed to be scared of predators, and that’s not something you’re going to change overnight. You have to be slow, gentle, patient, and a provider that brings food and goodies. Then they’ll get used to you, and even get excited by your appearance.
Giving Them Up
In mid-2003, we had to give the turtles away. Erika attended flight school in Dallas for six weeks, during about half of which I was also in Dallas. Our travel schedules made it harder and harder for us to give the turtles the attention they needed, and since I love animals, I felt guilty that I couldn’t provide for them.
I keep these turtle pages online because I get tons of comments & questions from people. When I first got my turtles, I had a tough time finding information on the net about them, and I hear the same from others. If you’ve got any questions about your turtles, feel free to drop me a line.
Read My Turtle Info:
I got a red eared turtle for my birthday and its just a baby and i love em but right now i’m kinda scared because i rechanged its water into warm water because it cooled and then he was swimming around in it and then stopped closed its eyes and opened its mouth and he’s been that way ever since should i be concerned? ><
Yes, call your local vet ASAP. By now, he could have passed away.