I have only just found this site and must admit it looks to be one of the best I have come across!
I would like to introduce myself (Anne) and my RES (Daphne). I got Daphne in 1980 when I was 16 years old and working in my local pet shop. The pet shop owner was going to 'put her down' as she had no eyes and he said she wouldn't survive! Well....27 years on and she is doing fine, with a little help from me
I am now 44 and cannot imagine what life would be like without my little 'pebble on legs'.
I hand feed Daphne on a varied diet, meat fish and veg which she takes off a spoon. We have become quite a team over the years. She is fed in a seperate bowl to her tank and once in there begins looking for 'her spoon'. She responds to my voice so she knows where in the bowl her food is coming from.
I have read lots of articles on the correct feeding of terrapins and her diet does not really match any of them
She has cat food (fish or chicken variety so not too fatty), sardines, tuna, prawns, cauliflower, carrots (her favourite), sprouts and other veg. I have to give her the veg before she has her cat food or, like a child, she will not eat her veg and spits it straight out.
Another quirky thing about Daphne is that no matter how slowly I introduce deeper water into her tank, if she cannot touch the bottom of her tank and get her nose out of the water, she panics and plops about until she finds her basking rocks. I have tried on several occasions to do this but with no luck. Any suggestions would be great!
Re the blindness, I have taken her to a vet and although she has 2 tiny holes where her eyes should be there is nothing there. She seems to cope well as long as I do not change the arrangement of her basking rocks in the tank.
Anyway enough of the waffle and now for the piccies.....hope you enjoy
MEET DAPHNE
TODAYS DINNER (COD & PLAICE CAT FOOD, CARROTS AND SPROUTS)
WAITING PATIENTLY
VEGGIES FIRST
MAIN COURSE
I TRY AND EAT THE BOWL SOMETIMES IF MUMS NOT QUICK ENOUGH WITH THE NEXT MOUTHFUL!
FULL TUMMY
