Lima the red-eared slider
About a year ago my son was driving out in the country near Alamo, California, when he spotted a turtle alongside the road. He stopped, because it’s not every day he sees a turtle nearly the size of a dinner plate. He looked around and didn’t see any houses nearby, nor did he see any ponds or places for a turtle to “hang out.” Concerned for it’s safety being so close to traffic, and knowing how much I love animals, he brought it to me.
After a quick internet search I learned it was a red-eared slider, an aquatic turtle, probably an adult, and most-likely male. It’s a good thing my son picked it up, because these turtles are not native to California, and in fact, releasing them into the wild is illegal. My son named him Lima after a baseball player.
I learned that Lima likes to eat strawberries and watermelon, and that he doesn’t like to eat minnows. We caught some minnows at a local park thinking they’d be a great snack for Lima. We were wrong; they’ve become his buddies. I also feed him turtle pellets, like dog food but smaller, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables.
For the first year Lima stayed outside, in a 3×3x3 wire cage on the ground, with a shallow “pond” (tub) of water and a basking rock. I’m sure he would have been happier with access to the entire backyard, but I have dogs and I didn’t want him in any danger. Recently I brought Lima inside and put him in a tank with about 30 gallons of water and a stack of rocks he can climb when he wants to dry off. It makes me happy to see him swimming in more water. I’m sure he’s happier too. Yes, we brought his minnow buddies along.
Seeing how Lima got along with the minnows, I figured I’d add more interest to the tank by buying two goldfish and an albino catfish. Turns out it’s not that Lima enjoys the company of minnows. It’s just that he has more refined tastebuds. I can’t find the goldfish or catfish anywhere.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:18 am
[...] Since I’m a big animal-lover and own several pets, I thought I’d show you the reason you should own a pet or two. See some of my pets here and here. [...]