Friday Finds: “Suns out” Swimming Lesson Shaped 1000 Piece Turtle Jigsaw Puzzle

Puzzles are one of my favorite past-times. Combine them with turtles and they make a fantastic Friday Find!

From the amazon.com website…

This is a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle made by Steve Sundram. The puzzle pieces are random-shaped and made from thick puzzle board with a protective high gloss finish. The finished puzzle piece 20″ X 42″.

Buy “Suns out Swimming Lesson” Shaped 1000 Piece Turtle Jigsaw Puzzle at Amazon.com >>

Book Review: Turtles of the United States and Canada

Turtles of the United States and Canada
By Carl H. Ernst, Jeffrey E. Lovich, and Roger W. Barbour

(This article originally published on Turtletopia.com in October 2002.)

Format: Paperback, 571pp.
ISBN: 1560988231
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press
Pub. Date: September 2000

If you’re really into turtles, this is the reference book you will have on your shelf. It summarizes the current knowledge (take that with a grain of salt, as the publishing date for this book was 1994) about 56 turtle species of the US and Canada, of which 13 are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Each of the species accounts includes sections on recognition, karyotype, fossil record, distribution, geographic variation, confusing species, habitat, behavior, reproduction, biology, growth and longevity, food habits, populations, and predators. The authors also include a discussion of turtle anatomy, a key to species identification, a pronunciation glossary for scientific names, and an extensive bibliography. And to boot, a few color photographs of select species, with plenty of b&w photographs of each species, anatomical line drawings, and distribution maps.

Stay away from this if you are a beginner, you may end up using this as a paperweight until you really “fall in love”. But if you’re a book worm like me, or aren’t afraid of the technical jargon, this makes an excellent addition to the library!

In this book…

As you know, if you are familiar with the format of my reviews, this is the section where I would post the table of contents for a book. Due to the nature of this book (being that it is a reference book), I will not be posting the table of contents listing. That would be like posting the table of contents for a volume of an encyclopedia. Can you only imagine?

Buy Turtles of the United States and Canada on Amazon.com >>

Book Review: Turtles: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual

Turtles: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual
By Harmut Wilke

(This review was originally published on Turtletopia.com in October 2000.)

Format: Paperback, 64pp.
ISBN: 0812047028
Publisher: Barron’s Educational Series, Incorporated
Pub. Date: November 1991

Even though this book is out of print (this version was published in 1982), it is still a great resource for the beginning and advanced herpetologist alike. My two favorite chapters of the book are “Terrariums – Size and Equipment” and “Understanding Turtles”. Even though the author does not go into much detail on the habitat setup of the aquatic turtle, there are several pages on the setup and maintenance of the land turtles terrarium.

My other favorite chapter, “Understanding Turtles”, was excellent because the author gave a short history lesson on the origins of the turtle. In addition, he included a section on the anatomy of the turtle and discussed the subject of a turtle’s body language. Not many authors have the experience to write on those topics.

In addition to the enormous amount of information presented in this compact format book, the many photos and drawings (over 50 total!) were a great addition. As a very informative, yet clear manual, I highly recommend this book for everyone interested in learning more about turtles.

In This Book…

1. Preface
2. Considerations Before You Buy
3. The Most Important Land and Water Turtles
4. Terrariums – Size and Equipment
5. Basic Rules for Care
6. Diet and Feeding
7. If Your Turtle Gets Sick
8. Breeding Turtles
9. Understanding Turtles
10. Protected Turtle Species
11. Books and Associations for Further Information
12. Index

Buy Turtles (Complete Pet Owner’s Manual) from Amazon.com >>

Constructing an Outdoors Turtle Pen

Outdoor Turtle Pen

One option for the serious turtle keeper is to construct an outdoor turtle pen. This project is most satisfying in areas where climate allows the turtles to be kept outside permanently; in most areas of the country winter conditions necessitate bringing the turtles inside during cold weather. If you keep turtles native to your area, however, they can hibernate naturally right inside their pen.

The pen should be as large as practical, and should contain a variety of microhabitats–areas of shade as well as areas of sun. It is very important that the turtle pen have at least some areas of shade at all times during the day, as unprotected tortoises can overheat quickly in a full midday sun. At the same time, basking spots must always be available. The turtles should be able to thermoregulate by moving from sun to shade as needed.

Several large, flat rocks can serve as basking spots and as heat retainers. You will also need some rock caves where the turtles can retreat for shade and whenever they need to feel secure. If the bulk of the pen area is left in its natural state, with several inches of soil, some leaf litter and vegetation, the turtles will spend most of their time happily digging and foraging for invertebrates and edible plants. Make sure there are no toxic plants anywhere in the enclosure.

A colony of aquatic turtles can be kept outside in an artificial pond. To produce an artificial pond, an area the size and depth that you want the finished pond to be must be dug out. A good pond should be a minimum of ten feet across anfrd at least two feet deep, with no rocks or other protruding objects left at the bottom of the hole.

Once you have excavated a suitable hole, line it with a strong waterproof material, such as butyl rubber, that serves the same function as a swimming pool liner. This prevents leaks and keeps the pond water from draining away, and should be as thick as practical to prevent tears. The liner should overlap the edges of the pond by about a foot with the overlapping edge covered over by several inches of rocks and soil to hold it firmly in place.

Next, fill the interior of the liner with four or five inches of clean sand, to push the liner flat against the bottom and to protect it from rocks, branches, turtle claws and other potential sources of puncture. Once the liner is firmly in place, add enough water to fill the pond.

Shallow areas near the shore of an artificial pond can be planted with cattails, pickerel weed and other aquatic plants that provide cover for young turtles and attract insect life to the pond. The turtles can use a number of flat rocks scattered along the shore as entry and exit ramps and as basking spots. Another good idea is to place a large tree branch or trunk in the pond, so it forms a long basking platform that can be reached from either land or water. Most aquatic turtles prefer to bask on logs or branches that extend out into the water so they can dive to safety at the first hint of danger.

If you live in an area of the country where winters are cool, it is best to stock your pond only with native species, or at least only species from temperate zones that normally hibernate in the winter. The turtles will bury themselves in the sand at the bottom of the pond or in the mud at the shores to hibernate through the winter.

If you live in an area that is warm year-round, you will be able to maintain tropical species in your pond. Any nonnative species of turtle must be kept securely in your pond to prevent them from escaping and becoming established in the local ecosystem.

The perimeter of the turtle pen can be made from wooden planks, bricks or stones. The wall must be at least several inches higher than the length of the longest turtle you will be keeping. If you make the wall just high enough that you can step over it, the turtles will be prevented from climbing out and you will be spared the necessity of making a door or gate for the pen. If you are keeping turtles that are good climbers, it is best to have an overhanging lip around the inside top of the wall to prevent escapes.

Since tortoises are excellent diggers, you will need some provision to discourage your pets from tunneling their way to freedom. Sink all the walls of the pen a foot or so into the ground. Although the turtles may repeatedly attempt to dig their way underneath the fence, eventually they will tire and give up. If you intend to keep the turtles in their pen year-round, there must be enough dirt and leaf litter available for the turtles to get beneath the frost line so they can hibernate in winter.

Excerpted from “The Turtle: An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet”. (c) copyright 1997 by Howell Book House.

Friday Finds: Tortoise Puppet

Christmas is around the corner so it’s time to look at Friday Finds that would make great presents! To start off the list, here’s a nice looking tortoise puppet with movable legs and a retractable head!

From the amazon.com website - 
This 13-inch-long tortoise puppet has a soft green reptilian body, gleaming brown eyes, and a smooth, beige suede tortoise shell. With your help, Tortoise can creep along at her leisurely pace (about a mile every 9 hours, according to the tortoise fact sheet printed on her label), or, if she senses danger, quickly retract her head and front legs into her shell, a skill which makes her particularly well-suited for games of peekaboo. A mature and sage-looking creature, Tortoise makes a terrific trouper for your puppet show, or simply a fun take-along friend (talk to her in the car, she’s a great listener). Be sure to check out Tortoise’s label for fascinating facts about tortoises as well as the Hottentot version of the famous “Tortoise and the Hare” folktale.

Buy Tortoise Puppet on Amazon.com >>

Book Review: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Turtles…

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Turtles…
By Liz Palika

(This article originally published on Turtletopia.com in October 2000.)

Format: Hardcover, 270pp.

ISBN: 0876051433
Publisher: Macmillan General Reference
Pub. Date: December 1997

If you’re a beginner, this book is definitely for you! As a new turtle/tortoise keeper, you will need guidance that is not loaded down with technical or scientific jargon (and it’s a nice perk that the book wasn’t written in the 70′s!) Liz does a great “spell-it-out” overview of various species and general care and maintenance for the beginner. She also makes it very easy to read and with lots of practical information based on her vast experiences.

If you love to read a how-to book, this is one you will enjoy. But if you love fancy photos, 4-color pictures for reference purpose, etc… it’s not what you need. For a beginners manual, this book is really quite good. With a lighthearted writing style and little tidbits of trivia, this will be an enjoyable read.

In this book…

1. Is a Turtle or Tortoise Right for You?
   1. What Are Turtles and Tortoises?
   2. What Are You Expecting from a Turtle?
   3. What Does Turtle Ownership Require?
   4. What Does Your Family Think?
   5. What Kind Would You Like?
   6. Finding a Turtle or Tortoise for You
2. Welcome Home
   1. Let There Be Light!
   2. Oh Yea, It’s Hot!
   3. Water, the Magic Liquid
   4. What Else Do You Need to Know?
   5. Home Sweet Home: Aquatic or Semi-Aquatic Turtles
   6. Home Sweet Home: Terrestrial Turtles or Small Tortoises
   7. Home Sweet Outside Enclosure
3. Open Wide
   1. You Are What You Eat
   2. Evaluating Your Pet’s Health
   3. Sex, Marriage, and Children
   4. Sleeping the Winter Away
4. The Who’s Who of Turtles
   1. In the Water and Out
   2. The Landlubbers
   3. The Boxed Set
5. The Who’s Who of Tortoises
   1. Teeny Tortoises
   2. The Middlemen
   3. The Special Beauties
   4. The Really Big Boys

Appendix A: A Latin Lesson
Appendix B: Where to Learn More
Appendix C: Glossary of Turtle and Tortoise Terms

Buy the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Turtles & Tortoises (The Complete Idiot’s Guide) >>

Book Review: Turtles of the World

Turtles of the World
By Carl H. Ernst and Roger W. Barbour

(This article originally published on Turtletopia.com in October 2002.)

Format: Paperback, 313pp.
ISBN: 1560982128
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press
Pub. Date: September 1992
Edition Desc: REPRINT

If you’re really into turtles, this is a reference book you will have on your shelf. It has all 257 known species of turtles arranged by family, with identification keys for genera and species. The descriptions include recognition details, distribution, habitat and ecology, feeding, reproduction, and endangered status. The worldwide population decline is discussed extensively. And to boot, a few color photographs of select species, with plenty of b&w photographs of each species, anatomical line drawings, and distribution maps.

I consider this reference book suitable for both the specialist and the general reader. If you are a “green” beginner, you may want to stay away from this book until you really “fall in love”. But if you’re a book worm like me, or aren’t afraid of the technical jargon, this makes an excellent addition to the library!

In this book…

As you know, if you are familiar with the format of my reviews, this is the section where I would post the table of contents for a book. Due to the nature of this book (being that it is a reference book), I will not be posting the table of contents listing. That would be like posting the table of contents for a volume of an encyclopedia. Can you only imagine?

Buy Turtles of the World at Amazon.com >>

Book Review: Turtles…As A Hobby

Turtles…As A Hobby
By W.P. Mara

(This article originally published on Turtletopia.com in October 2000.)

Abundant information and many color pictures are what usually make a good book. The ability to keep a reader interested while educating them is essential. “Turtles…as a hobby” has that ability.

The author starts out with a brief overview on the attraction of turtles and how he became involved with them, and from there begins to explain the basics of turtle care. Also, for those picture people out there, you will be happy to know that there were maybe five pages in the whole book that did not have a picture on them. This is definitely a recommended book.

NOTE: This book is one of many in the Save-Our-Planet-Book series started by the Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod Foundation. All the profits from the sale of this series of books go towards the purchase of land in the virgin rain forests of Brazil, in order to preserve them from explotaition. If you would like further information on this foundation, write:

Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod Foundation
Box 427
Neptune City, N.J 07753
USA

In This Book…

1. Preface
2. The Basics
3. Acquiring the Turtle and Equipment
4. Captive Care
5. Breeding
6. Sickness and Health
7. A Few Interesting Species
8. Index

Buy Turtles As a Hobby (Save Our Planet) from Amazon.com >>

Cleaning Ponds

“backyard pond” by massdistraction on flickr

Here are some easy to follow directions for cleaning your pond once it has been set up:

1. Remove marginal plants first and store them temporarily in a shady spot, watering them regularly to prevent them drying out.
2. Wrap any wilting plants in damp newspaper for temporary protection.
3. Net off floating plants and keep them in buckets or trays of water.
4. Place a temporary container for the fish and turtles somehwere near the pond, but shaded from the heat of the sun. A round wading pool with a good surface area is ideal.
5. Fill the wading pool with the cleanest water drawn from near the surface of the pond.
6. Unless the water is particularly foul, save as much as you can at this stage in buckets, so that the balance will be quickly restore in the refilled pond.
7. Use the rest of the water from the pond for watering flowerbeds and shrubs.
8. It is easier to catch the fish and turtles when the pond is nearly empty; this is now the time to do so.
9. Make sure the wading pool is sufficiently aerated by installing a circulation pump or air stone.
10. If you also have fish, cover the container with a tight-fitting fine mesh net to prevent the fish from leaping out.
11. Drain the pond as low as possible and double check for any small fish you have overlooked.
12. Remove the layer of debris on the pond base with a dustpan and bucket rather than the pump.
13. If you need to step into the pond, check that the base will support your weight.
14. Rinse the pond down and brush off any excess blanket weed from the sides.
15. Begin refilling the pond.
16. Reposition the plants in the pond as soon as it is sufficiently full.
17. Add a water conditioner to the inflowing water to neutralize any chlorine.
18. If you manage to save any of the old water, add it to the pond.
19. Allow the water in the refilled pond to warm slightly before transferring the fish back in.
20. Return any floating plants.
21. The pond will take some time to settle and may appear rather cloudy for a few weeks.
22. Feed the fish, but only sparingly at first. Avoid adding any new fish until the pond has completely recovered and established the nitrogen cycle once again.

Friday Finds: Green Turtle Hatchlings Puzzle

This week’s Friday Find is one I found over 10 years ago, but still a favorite in my household!

From the Manufacturer

Product Description

Buy the Green Turtle Hatchlings Jigsaw Puzzle 550pc from Amazon.com >>