A guy in a pickup truck from my local trash company stopped at my house yesterday a very large ogre like guy. I've been going through alot of my older computer gear and tossing the really useless stuff. Things like 4 10 year old Sun monitors..

Anywho, I *thought* they were going to tell me I need to cut it out, or pace myself or something, when the first thing the guy says after introducing himself is that he heard that I do stuff with turtles.

Surprised (and happy to not be getting bitched at) I said I did. He looked rather relieved and then asked if I could give them a hand with something they found. I had *no* idea what to expect at this point, but I told him in my most convincing voice, uh. maybe.

So now I'm thinking that they found a snapper by the trash trucks or at their main office or something as he goes back to the truck and gets a cardboard box out of the passenger seat. He brings it over and tells me one of his guys found this in the trash today and they didn't feel right just well, trashing them.

I popped the box open and inside were two very alive and healthy 3 inch red ear sliders. Well, looks healthy enough anyhow, I haven't done fecals on them yet.

I said I'd find them a home but what the hell is wrong with some people, and dude just went off. I'm glad there were no kids within earshot. "If I was ****** on that mother**** pickup I'da ****** banged on the ******* door and put a ****** trash can up.." Dude went on for a bit too and not expecting something like that to come out of the guy's mouth, I was kinda staring a bit, when he then apologized but things like that make him really angry. These were his first turtles, but he's ended up with kittens and rabbits the same way before.

People are a lot of times under educated, some are ignorant, some are just stupid. Hope all goes well with the turtles. I hate seeing stuff likle this happen.

Unfortunately Paul, it's not just the uneducated and ignorant, that we have to worry about. I did lectures for 12 years for the U.S. Army and Universities on exotic and endangered animals (Primarily, venomous snakes and boids). I often had to deal with people with MS and even PhD degrees that truly believed that "The only Good Snake is a Dead Snake" . Many people believe that animals are only here for our pleasure, and if you get tired of a pet (or it gets to be too much trouble to take care of) just get rid of it. I still raise and breed Boas, but have stopped breeding the big Pythons, because so few buyers are really willing to make the kind of commitment required. Saint_Felony, I hope your new charges do well.

Mark

You are right about that Mark. All we can do is try and educate, people are going to do what they think is right no matter what.

:angspmd: This really grinds my gears! I wont go off but if people do not want an animal or can no longer take care of them they should take them to there local Humane Society or to there local ASPCA office. Hell even go to there Vets office and leave it with them! I could go on for hours about peoples ignorance but I wont.

Wow Mark, you have people who willingly take and pay for Boas? I had the hardest time finding a home for one of the sweetest red tailed boas I've ever seen. Alot of people were interested up to the part where they found out she was almost 6 feet.

Mike part of the problem is that at least my local ASCPA is for one almost 45min drive and for two is really only equipped to deal with cats and dogs. Not that they turm

The two new little guys are doing good. They're healthy enough that I set up a basking stand in with the Pacus and the two of them seem to be getting along just fine with the 4 pacus.

There's a bit of pyramiding, and they're extremely easy to scare (something I'm not used to with sliders) but they seem healthy enough. For the size of them and the fact that they didn't have worms, I'm guessing they were "county fair" hatchlings from 2007.

Yea, even tho it's illegal we still have people giving them out for prizes/selling them at one of the fairs.

saint_felony wrote:

Wow Mark, you have people who willingly take and pay for Boas? I had the hardest time finding a home for one of the sweetest red tailed boas I've ever seen. Alot of people were interested up to the part where they found out she was almost 6 feet.

These are Albino (Kahl Strain), Genetic Stripe (Kahl Strain), and Albino Striped.

Glad to hear that the turtles appear to be doing well. I've got a breeding colony of rescued Gulf Coast Box Turtles that are "Free Range" in my back yard.

Mark

I'm not up on my snake variants, but those sound pretty. Is that one of the ones in your pict?

Very cool on the Gulf Coast Boxies. What are you doing with all the hatchlings? Since those are cites II if you had any extras that needed somewhere to go I would totally be down with adding them to a new breeding pool.

I've been working with some of the PA folks on breeding Easterns and while definitely not native, been working with the Philly Zoo on Egyptian Tortoises too since they're cites I.

That's my female albino.
To this point, I've been releasing the young GCBs at the yearling stage into unpopulated areas. They start to become scarce this time of year, but I would be interested in helping you start a colony in the Spring.

Mark

You should post some bigger pics somewhere, I didn't know she'd still count as an albino with the red markings out by the tail.

Yea, Spring would be best, I'm not sure the weather out your way, but I'm sure they're starting to get ready to hibernate. Spring too will give me some time to finish out the new animal areas too. I'm working on a new indoor room and I've got new plans for some outdoor enclosures that are supposed to be raccoon proof.