BronwynRH
New Member
Myrtle appeared behind my car tire one morning 5 years ago. He was small and I felt responsible for him since I'd been moments from backing over him. He was too small to sex though, thus the name. It became clear after a couple of years though. A year ago, enter Yertle, also rescued from a tree-planting adventure in the backyard. He was also small, but has grown enough that it's clear to see he's also male.
Myrtle and Yertle got along fine for almost a year, but Myrtle had recently been very aggressively trying to make it with or Yertle, who really doesn't appreciate the attention.
Today I pulled the 10-gallon tank back out and put Yertle in it on his own. Myrtle remains in the 20-gallon tank.
What's the question... First, do you think this separation will have to be permanent? Is Myrtle big enough to be released back into the wild? Would he make it at the big pond in our neighborhood, where several 10-15 lb turtles already reside?
We live on 2 acres with coyotes and my outdoor huntress pup, who probably couldn't be trusted to leave turtles alone, though so far her targets have been only rodent and avian.
Lastly, I'm attaching photos of their current homes. Suggestions are welcome. I've tried live plants, like parsley and strawberries, but they dried out too quickly. Are fake plants good enough? Are plants for my aesthetic or theirs?
Anyway, I love them and Myrtle even seems to like me a bit--though today he was ticked off when I repeatedly pulled him off of his roommate--but I also worry that I'm a terrible turtle mom and would appreciate suggestions for making their lives better.
Myrtle and Yertle got along fine for almost a year, but Myrtle had recently been very aggressively trying to make it with or Yertle, who really doesn't appreciate the attention.
Today I pulled the 10-gallon tank back out and put Yertle in it on his own. Myrtle remains in the 20-gallon tank.
What's the question... First, do you think this separation will have to be permanent? Is Myrtle big enough to be released back into the wild? Would he make it at the big pond in our neighborhood, where several 10-15 lb turtles already reside?
We live on 2 acres with coyotes and my outdoor huntress pup, who probably couldn't be trusted to leave turtles alone, though so far her targets have been only rodent and avian.
Lastly, I'm attaching photos of their current homes. Suggestions are welcome. I've tried live plants, like parsley and strawberries, but they dried out too quickly. Are fake plants good enough? Are plants for my aesthetic or theirs?
Anyway, I love them and Myrtle even seems to like me a bit--though today he was ticked off when I repeatedly pulled him off of his roommate--but I also worry that I'm a terrible turtle mom and would appreciate suggestions for making their lives better.