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Tortoise / terrapin owners??

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  • 24-02-2005 8:52pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9


    Hi there!!
    I'm new here. Only joined today! How are ye? :)

    Does anyone here have any sort of Turtle? Aquatics? Tortoise?
    I'd just like to know who has. What type... etc.

    I have 4 terrapins myself. Love them.
    Just keen to see what else is around...


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Hiya - do you have actual terrapins or red eared sliders that are often sold as terrapins? How big are yours?

    I have 5 sliders the biggest is the size of a dinner plate & the smallest is the size of a tea plate.

    I also have 2 Russian Horsefield tortoises.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭FranknFurter


    How *are* buffy et-al doing btw faye? :):)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    They are all fine hun! - I got 2 more so we have 5 now! the littlest one is a randy begger! & keeps getting bitten by Faith & Buffy LOL


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9 me-shell


    You have 5? Cool. I have no tortoise yet but soon hope to get 2 marginated tortoises. I have four, a Red Eared Slider, a Yellow Bellied Slider, a Cumberland Slider and a Black-Knobbed Saw-Back. Three of them are hatchlings, only about 2 inchs each. The RES is 4 inchs. What size tank do you have them in? How long do you have them? Check out www.ittn.net. Very good site. Links to a lot of good sites.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭Yule3


    Hi,

    I am thinking of buying a Hermans or a Russian tortoise soon. I know basically the only place you can get a tortoise is in Reptile Haven. I read somewhere that its bad to buy Tortoise from pet shops and it should only really be bought from a respectable breeder, because sometimes pet shops sell wild caught tortoise and they carry parasites etc.

    Are there any respectble breeders around where I can buy tortoise?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    I know Ben in reptile haven sells captive bred tortoises that come with full licences/papers etc.

    At the moment my turtles are in a 4x2x2 tank - the pond will be finished this year so they will be put outside - we plan to have a heated house for colder days - I/we had terrapins probably RES - in a pond outside all year & they did fine.

    I also have 2 young Russian Horsefields that I got from the UK last year, they are growing well & are in a viv with a full spectrum UV tube.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,161 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Well I currently have 2 Amboina box turtles(18 yrs old) and a Stinkpot turtle(15 yrs). In the past I've had 3 red eared turtles, 1 Reeves turtle(really good for the beginner), 1 Chinese thick headed turtle(very shy), 2 Chinese softshell turtles(aggressive b*****ds, but after a while calm down) and 1 alligator snapping turtle(aggressive b*****d, but never calmed down :) ).

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭Yule3


    Thanks for the reply. It seems that Reptile Haven is the best place to get a tortoise. I will go and check out the shop soon! I am looking forward to getting a tortoise. :D

    Do you know if Ben only sells Hermans, or does he sell Russians too ?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9 me-shell


    Anyone who owns terrapins or tortoises, ye should become a member of www.turtleforum.com

    Its a brilliant site for information about any sort of turtle or reptile!! Check it out!!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9 me-shell


    Bond-007 wrote:
    Hiya - do you have actual terrapins or red eared sliders that are often sold as terrapins?

    Red Eared Sliders are terrapins...


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9 me-shell


    Any one own a marginated tortoise?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,881 ✭✭✭dceire


    Where is this reptile haven place? i'm thinking of buying a tortoise or terrapin how much do they cost etc?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,878 ✭✭✭Rozabeez


    There's a place in Celbridge selling them, The Orchard, it's a garden centre and petshop, and since you're from Kildare it could be pretty close! I think that once you buy the tank/terrapin it comes to about €180/160 or something around that mark.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,881 ✭✭✭dceire


    Cheers mate, yea i know the place in celebridge i might give them a try


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,434 ✭✭✭Rancid


    I have a Hermanns tortoise, a female and she's about 50 years old.

    Yule3, me-shell and dceire, before you get your tortoises do some research!
    They are *not* low-maintenance easy pets as suggested by many tortoise-selling sites online.
    And... don't believe everything your pet-shop owner tells you either, even if they're the ones selling you your tortoise.

    Hermanns should *NEVER* be housed in a vivarium, (not even in pet-shops waiting to be sold) so don't let yourself be talked into buying one.

    Lots of reliable info here and you can join the Tortoise Trust list too.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 xAngelax


    I have three red eared terrapins (and yes they are terrapins actually) they are about 7 years old and about the length og a nokia 3310 (cudnt find another comparrison) one question, are you allowed to sell them in england?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 xAngelax


    als how much can they sell for as my parents don't want them anymore :(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9 me-shell


    xAngelax wrote:
    als how much can they sell for as my parents don't want them anymore :(


    Technically speaking, its illegal to sell red ears in this country. However, i'm sure you could find someone to but them if your descrete. I would say they are worth, approx €50 each. They are a bit small for 7 year olds. Why don't they want them anymore?


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,161 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    I'd say they're about the right size for 7 yr olds. As I said before it's my contention that people overfeeding them makes them grow huge and can cause them to suffer with growth deformities. Two big ones I looked after before were so obese they couldn't support their body weight on land. They only lived to 10 as well :(

    xAngelax, If your parents are worried about getting a disease from them, they shouldn't be. If they're kept in a clean healthy tank, you have more chances of getting something off the family cat. The tank won't smell either.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1 Aqua_d


    Hi, first time to this site, so hope Im doing this right....
    Today I bought my 5 year old son a Red Eared Slider and then someone said that they give you salomala?? He has been playing with him all day!!!! Have I made the right decision for him? I should of looked into it more before I got him, and then I read here that you should only get them from reg breeders and I got him in a market across the boarder.... Please help me as if I am going to get rid of him I want to do it soon as not to upset my son, as he has just lost his hamster of 3 years and that why he got the terrapin. Please would be really happy if someone could set my mind at ease one way or another. Thanks


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Ok now all reptiles MAY give you salmanela - the best thing to do is to make sure you & your family wash your hands after touching the slider - you can buy sliders now in most pet shops so dont worry about where you bought it - do you know that they the slider will get as big as a dinner plate?? & that they can live to be a 100 years old etc???


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 hatchedandcrazy


    I said it all in the title...Looking for a baby horsefield in dublin/kildare area?
    Thanks
    O yeah im new sorry if i posted this wrong.........................


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,324 ✭✭✭tallus


    You'd be better off trying the petshops hatchedandcrazy. A lot of them seem to stock Tortoises these days. I know the Aquatic place in Brittas near the blue gardenia pub sell horsefields torts.


  • Registered Users Posts: 333 ✭✭dbrock


    aqua d there is a great antibacterial hand cleaner called wipe out,, any good pet shop will have it or will have another one,,,just use it before and after everytime your son picks the turtle up or is working with his tank,,,


    as for the turtle make sure you got a heater,,,filter,,,basking light and i recomend the use of a uvlight to


  • Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭muttzer


    hi there,

    im trying to re-home my two terripans.
    there about 2- 3inches in lenght.
    i've have them nearly 2 years now.
    these two are very lively and interactive espesiacly at feeding time.

    here is the link im selling them and theres some pics too.
    MOD EDIT NO SELLING ANIMALS ON BOARDS.IE

    im not trying to get band. but im desparate at the stage. as they need to be gone by this sat-monday!
    if there is a problom with this ill be happy to delete it. and i know i cant put it on the adverts site.

    cheers
    muttzer


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 hatchedandcrazy


    as long as your son is careful to wash his hands after everytime he touches the terrapin i dont think there would be any problem. I think you can buy a turtle/terrapin/tortoise handwash in some pet shops. Hope this helps.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 44 reptileguy16


    i have a 4 year old female hermans tort which i adopted two years ago she was in a state wen i got her and she nw has a deformed shell due to improper diet and no uvb as a youngster. i have had to pay over 1500 euro in vets bills since i got her. it makes me so mad that someone could let this happen to such a beautiful creature. but shes doin well now and is living a happy healthy life. please do ur homework on these creatures as they arent easy to keep!


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,324 ✭✭✭tallus


    What's your setup like Reptileguy ? I have a pair of 5 year old Hermans.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 44 reptileguy16


    tallus wrote:
    What's your setup like Reptileguy ? I have a pair of 5 year old Hermans.
    its a 5ft x 5ft x 3ft tortoise table what are you feeding yours???


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,324 ✭✭✭tallus


    its a 5ft x 5ft x 3ft tortoise table what are you feeding yours???
    Dandelions, plantain, and honeysuckle mostly. Thinking of rehoming one of them, as the bigger guy is very agrressive when feeding, and I haven't really got the means or the space to setup another tt.
    See the attached pic of my setup, still using it but not using that substrate any more, I'm using towels at the moment. Torts dont seem to mind at all and are way easier to keep clean.


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