Our New Additions: The Story of Zelda and Yoshi

It all started because of this affinity for turtles that I've always had. Growing up in Texas, it wasn't unusual to see traffic stopped on both sides of the road while a driver jumped out of their car to help a tortoise cross the road in an effort to avoid being crushed. I love turtles. Something about them just endears me to them. Who can't help but notice the vulnerability in the soulful eyes of the female Ridley sea turtle as she lumbers onto the sand to dig her nest before laying hundreds of eggs; eyes facing the water to make a hasty retreat if threatened. Or who can resist those centuries old tortoise's such as Mzee, who was adopted by Owen, the baby hippo after the Tsunami in 2004?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4754996

My story is similar. It started, like I said before, because of my love of turtles. I have a little collection on my desk from family and friends who know I like them so they bring them to me as souvenirs from places like Hawaii, San Francisco and Neiman Marcus. Well, Zelda is my souvenir from Oklahoma. A coworker of my husband had to go down to Oklahoma last fall and happened to find some wild red eared sliders that he brought home for his kids. They had the pair in a nice setup in a 10 gallon tank with a bowl of water and some gravel and soil. Every time I visited them, I always told them, "I just love turtles, they're so cute!" Well, my friends' wife said, after the third or fourth time, "Really Sandy, if you want them, you can take them. The kids are bored with them and I'm tired of being the only one caring for the little critters!" Of course, she didn't have to tell me twice, so we packed them up in the truck and off we went. I started doing research on what they needed to live and OMG, was I in for a shock!

Well, to begin with, red eared sliders are aquatic. They need water-LOTS of water. And it has to be warm water, at least 78 degrees. Ok, I have a tank already, so we're good. I'll have to get a heater. I read on to find out that they can get a little aggressive so it's good to have a heater that is covered as to avoid breakage. Through my research I find that there exists, a special turtle heater that's protected with a plastic cover-very nice-so I start a list of things we need.

Oh, and the little rascals need a place to get up and out of the water to completely dry out, so they need a basking dock. HUH?

Yes, they require someplace high and dry to warm up every once in a while….under a heat lamp.

Ok, so far on my list is a turtle water heater, basking dock and heat light. I can handle that.

Then the kicker…these little turtles have voracious appetites and eat a LOT. Having two dogs and 3 cats, I know what happens when animals eat a LOT.

Naturally they POOP, a LOT.

Ok, so proper filtration is necessary for clean water, so we'll add a high volume filter to the list. Wait a minute, one more thing…a UVB light is needed for calcium absorption because they aren't getting natural sunlight which is necessary for proper shell and bone health. OK, add it to the list. Holy COW!

Off we go with my list in hand, to Boise for our supply run. We get to the pet store and I tell the kid what I have and he leads me over to the turtle section. It seems they have their own specialized supplies, so in the basket we go….WAIT A MINUTE! $14.00 FOR A HEATER? $9.99 for that light bulb?? OMG, $35.00 for the pump and another $11.00 for the basking dock! OMG!

This is my karma for loving turtles.

I adopted them, and they had been taken out of the wild for our pleasure, so I felt compelled to get the right supplies for them. After getting home late and getting their tank set up with the lights and basking dock, river rock, pump and heater I dropped in bed and fell asleep to the sound of trickling water.

The next morning my husband came in with my cup of coffee and he said, "Your turtles are tanning". I had to giggle at the thought of Yoshi and Zelda, tanning.

My mom, who lives with us, is as excited about these little beings as my granddaughter is! They get a little chair and sit beside the tank to watch Zelda, (Yoshi passed away last week! :-( ) as she climbs up on her dock and dives in the water chasing the guppies she longs to catch. Always just out of her reach, she keeps trying, in between her tanning sessions.

As long as my animals are happy and healthy, it's always a pleasure to care for them. Most 4 legged mammals have that unconditional love thing going for their owners. Reptiles….not so much. But they are the most enjoyable to watch.