Turtle Talk

        Did you know, that in China Town, Chicago (Illinois, USA) you can buy baby turtles (and small carrying cage) for only $10?  If you buy two in one cage it's only $18!  Food for $3!!!!!  When I say 'baby turtles' I mean with egg tooth! (For those of you that don't know, the egg tooth is what they use to break out of their shells and it usually goes away within a month...turtle fact of the day #1.) And they sell them in practically every shop!

        How do I know this?

        Well, when I went to Chicago about a month ago on a church mission trip, we went on a short trip to China Town.  Some of my friends and I were exploring the shops, when three girls from our group came running down the street. "WE BOUGHT TURTLES!" I was skeptical...until they were right next to me showing off their tiny reptiles.  They named the turtles Chyna, Mojo Jojo, and Bob.

        Out of excitement, and on a sudden whim, I ran into the closest store and bought one, and named him Sven. Why? I'm not sure...it was just the first name that happened to pop into my head. (I find myself just calling him Turtle from time to time....) In the end, five of us bought turtles, and everyone was jealous. ;D They tried to pretend they weren't by telling us the turtles would die overnight. "Why else would they be so cheap?!?!"  Like I said, that was over a month ago.  I don't know about the others, but Sven is still alive and well.

        Oh! And don't let anyone tell you that turtles are slow! I've let him out a few times...and almost lost him 'cause he moves FAST!  He's also a very fast swimmer...it's hilarious to watch him swim in the bathtub! (I put him in there while I'm washing his small little tank...yes, I'm working on getting him a bigger one!)

         So, Sven the turtle gets fed two pellets of turtle feed once a day, every day, at the same time (6 PM for me!). I clean his tank out every two or three days, depending on how mucky the water is/how stinky he's getting.  First, I fill up the tub and put him in it, take off the top of his tank and put all the rocks and stuff (which I had to add and did NOT come with the tank...well...the little plastic tree did...) in it, then wash out the tank itself with warm water and soap, RINSING IT THOROUGHLY!  Then I wash off all the rocks (and other small decorations) and put them back (I always do the tree last), and finally, quickly rub off Sven's shell and put him back in, and put the tank back where it belongs.

        Sven lives on the window sill. He likes the sunshine, I guess...maybe it's because he's cold blooded. Cold blooded animals, unlike warm blooded (humans, dogs, cows, etc.), don't have their own methods of warming up or cooling down their bodies, hence they depend on the things around them (such as sunlight) to warm up or cool down. Turtle fact of the day #2. =)

        Turtles are fun pets to have. Unlike dogs or cats, no mess to clean up after in random places!  Believe it or not, I love my turtle. XD My friends are jealous, and my siblings keep begging me to hold it. Oh...one more very import piece of information: TURTLES MAY CARRY SALMONELLA! (Turtle fact of the day #3.) So, when you're done holding it or cleaning it's cage, always wash your hands and the surfaces which the turtle/turtle water may have touched.  And NEVER KISS IT! I know people do that kind of stuff with other kinds of pets, but, trust me, unless you want to get VERY sick, DON'T DO IT!

GuardianSakura
(The Daily Blahgger)

(Sven the turtle \/! <3 Pics by me. =D)