Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Hello from Arizona

[squirtsmom]

I was made a RES owner two weeks ago when my aunt thought she'd buy my three year old a one inch turtle. I tried to find it a home and called herpetological rescue...they told me to put him in the freezer. I called game and fish...they told me to flush him. I'm keeping Squirt. I looked up everything I could online and went to three different pet/reptile stores. I bought a book, read it all in a couple of hours and still didn't know what to do then I found this site...and I'm lucky that I did. I've got him in a good habitat now. I looked up illnesses cause he was acting funny and I took him to a good vet today and he's being treated for pneumonia. (I have to give him shots in his armpit, OUCH.) But he's gonna make it. I'm glad to be on here and look forward to learning from all of you.

[steve]

I'm glad you're keeping Squirt and not listening to those other people! Feel free to ask any questions and I hope Squirt feels better!

[urbancleopatra]

freezer? flushing?!!! [!!!]?! They should be ashamed of themselves.

[DavidY]

Well SquirtsMom, you deserve an award for what you've gone through to raise your baby turtle! I'm glad you didn't give in to the terrible advice you received from the so-called experts. I think they're too jaded from having to deal with so many distressing cases like yours, except most people are not willing to go to the lengths that you have.

[SpotsMama]

Wow what a start to your relationship with your RES! It's pretty lucky for Squirt that you are a caring person!

And welcome to the forum!

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Or maybe the experts said that because the turtle is a RES..

Welcome to the forum, again I'm glad squirt is in your hand's.

[DavidY]

Or maybe the experts said that because the turtle is a RES..

Yea, that's what I was thinking too. There's just too many being sold out there like trinkets or those stupid Happy Meal toys at McDonalds. The rescue orgs probably have way too many calls everyday of people wanting to dump them.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

It sucks how everyone dislikes them so much. It's not their fault pet store employees are irresponsible dumb jerks and sell them to people along with crappy information on how to take care of them, a few of the ones who get sick because of bad care end up going to rescue orgs, and some just get tossed into lakes and rivers, and of course some just rot to death in a tiny plastic lagoon with a palm tree in the middle

that is why experts say no one should breed RES. If your turtle lays an egg, get rid of it..OK, I understand that..but freezing or flushing a live turtle down the toilet? Come on....

whooo...calm down eddie

[DavidY]

I hear you, bro. It's hard not to get riled sometimes.