After reading many horror stories on here I decided to go to Craigslist and see what I could find. To my delight and utter horor, the first post was a free land turtle to good home, includes cage. The "land turtle" turned out to be a beautiful, if scarred, three toed male with the coolest eyes! They were white at first and my friend and I checked over and over to make sure, well, when I got him home, his eyes had turned a scary looking, thin red color! Just beautiful. The cage he was being housed in for ten years was a plastic bird cage with no sub at all and no heat lamp or food and water dish. My buddy, who picked him up for me, asked if I wanted the cage and I told him no, because this little guy was NEVER going to go back in there, even for the ride home!
His back appears smooth with his scutes rubbed down smooth and also his plastron has been rubbed smooth, but he appears to be friendly and in good health. Unfortunatly, I have my quarantine tank filled with three baby GCB's and I have to house him in a box for the night until I can get him a nice tub and heat lamp. He will be with me for a few weeks and then he is going to go to my Uncle's garden where he will have seven new friends to hang out with.
I encourage everyone here to check craigslist weekly if not daily. I almost lost this guy to a person who wanted a pet for their kid. I am not saying he would have been put in a bad place becoming a pet for a kid, but we all know how most of those cases turn out!
Anyway, here he is and please do not judge. It was late when I got him and the stores were closed. I had to choose between getting him while unprepared or losing him to a person seeking a pet! My turtles and torts are not pets, they are companions that I take care of and they take care of me in an odd way. I had to put him in a box for the night. He has 4" of coconut coir and mulch, plenty of water and good food including a bit of scambled egg I cooked him. He will get a proper quarantine tub with fresh plants and a proper dish tomorrow!
His back appears smooth with his scutes rubbed down smooth and also his plastron has been rubbed smooth, but he appears to be friendly and in good health. Unfortunatly, I have my quarantine tank filled with three baby GCB's and I have to house him in a box for the night until I can get him a nice tub and heat lamp. He will be with me for a few weeks and then he is going to go to my Uncle's garden where he will have seven new friends to hang out with.
I encourage everyone here to check craigslist weekly if not daily. I almost lost this guy to a person who wanted a pet for their kid. I am not saying he would have been put in a bad place becoming a pet for a kid, but we all know how most of those cases turn out!
Anyway, here he is and please do not judge. It was late when I got him and the stores were closed. I had to choose between getting him while unprepared or losing him to a person seeking a pet! My turtles and torts are not pets, they are companions that I take care of and they take care of me in an odd way. I had to put him in a box for the night. He has 4" of coconut coir and mulch, plenty of water and good food including a bit of scambled egg I cooked him. He will get a proper quarantine tub with fresh plants and a proper dish tomorrow!