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The do's, don'ts and
wonders of having pet turtlesby
Delbert Trew | |
My
recent article about turtles
brought numerous responses from avid turtle owners. I could not believe how many
ladies had backyards full of turtles.
First, I learned that as turtles
reach a certain age, the male turtles have red eyes and reddish-tinted scales
on their legs and skin. Male turtles are very aggressive, will bite the hand that
feeds them and will attack another male turtle. Female turtles, at a certain age,
acquire yellow eyes. They are gentle, will not bite unless threatened and can
become great pets. |
It seems land turtles
have a territory usually in the area where they are born. The size of the territory
varies according to the amount of food available. By the way, turtles will eat
almost anything, including hamburger meat, lettuce, tomatoes, almost any fruit,
dog and cat food, cow feed, grain and fresh garbage from the kitchen.
After
awhile, they will come to a call or sound, and some will scratch on your back
door for feeding. One longtime pet will enter the house, go to the refrigerator
and rock back and forth begging for lettuce.
I've wondered where land
turtles get water out on the prairie, miles from the nearest pond. They acquire
moisture from morning dew as the turtle moves through the grass. They can sense
a rain coming 24 hours before and will dig a small hole to catch the rain.
One
expert said turtles always know when the first freeze is coming, dig a hole and
begin winter hibernation. They also know when the last freeze is over, and come
back to the surface. If a turtle has sufficient food and escapes predators like
coyotes or other male turtles, they can live to 75 years of age. |
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Another expert
states, if you are trying to trap turtles out of a pond to protect your fish,
the best bait is fresh meat or roadkill like a rabbit or bird. Somehow, they sense
or smell this presence and will scale trap ramps to reach the bait.
Some
believe that, like other pets, if turtles are removed from their home territory,
they will continue to try to return until they arrive or are killed in the attempt.
Coyotes have been known to turn turtles over on their backs to die in revenge
for not being able to eat them because of the shells. I have seen coyotes going
cross country carrying a turtle in their mouths. I wonder why?
One response
cited a humorous side.
Some consider many politicians are like "post turtles."
A post turtle finds itself sitting on top of a square-cut fence post with no traction,
absolutely no idea how he got there, no clue as to how to get down or what he
is going to do while stranded on top of the post.
© Delbert Trew
"It's All Trew" January
19, 2010 Column
E-mail: trewblue@centramedia.net.
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