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Dear Members and Friends: Our FALL meeting will be held on October 25th as planned, however, it will be held at the Robbie Waters Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento 95831. From I-5 take the Florin Road WEST exit and proceed to Havenside Dr and go left (there is a light and turn lane) and the library is not far and is on the right hand side, you cannot miss it. It is huge and beautiful. The meeting room itself is off to the left of the main entrance. We have the room from 5 - 8+ but I think if you arrive at 4:30 there will be plenty of time to talk and walk around. Father Dimitri will be at the meeting to conduct pre-hibernation checkups, so feel free to bring your pet to be checked out. We can do the usual pot luck which will probably be your dinner!! Belle Cooledge has become increasingly hostile towards us but this summer, at the Turtlerama, the new librarian, Donna Zick, came out to scream at me outside in front of everyone, exhibitors and visitors alike, about something she didn't like and was also yelling at Shirley about the sales table. We were accused of leaving the meeting room dirty which was not true. I always take a photo before we leave and the room was spotless as always. The same scenario happened at our Summer meeting a month later and then I got a letter telling me that since we broke the rules, we were banned from the library system. We were accused of not allowing the public into our meeting - the truth was that three girls, perhaps 11 years old, walked into the meeting room from the library and began helping themselves to our food and we politely told them to leave or bring in their parents. A different librarian yelled at Shirley that day. We have had our meetings there since they opened 17 years ago but no more. We are no longer friends of the Belle Cooledge Library. We are welcome at the Robbie Waters Library and I cannot thank Robbie and the library staff enough for allowing us to use the meeting room. Looking back, the Turtlerama was a huge success. You all did an outstanding job and certainly helped the public understand more about turtle and tortoise care. I'll list all of your names on the newsletter when I put it onto the website and let me know if I missed anyone and I'll add them on. I spent most of the day in my car talking to people and signing others up and giving out care sheets, etc. It actually was very enjoyable to have a one on one with so many people.
 If you have a new turtle or tortoise, please research as to whether that species can hibernate and if it is old enough, fat enough, and you know how to accomplish this. Did you just buy one at the reptile show? What you read on the Internet about its care is probably totally incorrect, sorry to always say this but it is true. BE ALERT. Your turtle's life depends on your care. The best source of information is from other owners . They will tell you the truth (I hope) about caring for your pets the right way. They aren't trying to sell you anything. And what about hatchlings? Oh my, that alone can drive you crazy. Do you let them hibernate? How? Where? Keep them awake? How? Where? Very confusing. We will try to help you with all of these questions at the upcoming meeting. Hibernation is always a little scary, even for the most experienced keeper. We never know............they hide their illnesses very well. GOOD LUCK!!
Fall Hints: Know where your turtles and tortoises are!! At this time of the year they begin to act a little nutty and squeeze themselves into the worst places imaginable where they could freeze or drown. I like mine to hibernate inside of their doghouses but many times they decide to sleep UNDER the doghouse but some manage to get out of their enclosure and head for the air conditioner where they will somehow push their way behind it or on some shelves or in a wood pile which is really really bad. They will often dig deep holes very quickly and you won't see them again until springtime. My Russians do this every year and I don't like it but there's no way to predict when they will decide to disappear. So do your best to protect your little friends. They don't realize you have their best interest at heart.
AT THE BUNKER Summer weather seems to be hanging on nicely and everyone is enjoying the warm weather. Blondie, the big leopard, has been in 'labor' for a few weeks now, digging here and digging there but not 'seriously'. I got very tired of carrying her in and out of the greenhouse every day. I prefer she dig her nest in the greenhouse so I know where they are. And she usually obliges but not this time. A few times she simply pushed the door open somehow and got out. This past weekend, however, there were a lot of visitors coming by and Blondie hates visitors and runs and hides when anyone strange is around. She won't come out until the next day. A few days ago, on a Sunday, there were visitors and before they arrived, she had climbed into the pen with the box turtles and decided to start seriously digging a nest out in the hot sun......there was no way to shade her. And then the people started arriving. I tried steering them away from where she was - but she eventually walked away and sat in the shade in a corner. When everyone left, I put her back onto the lawn to do whatever she pleased. I made dinner and when I went out after dark to make sure everyone was ok, she was walking towards me and I noticed some white things behind her. She had deposited ten big eggs on top of the ground. I guess she was too exhausted to dig another hole!! Luckily none were broken. I gave her a drink of water and gathered up the eggs, washed them off and put them into the incubator. Expected date to hatch will be anytime between Valentine's Day and March 8. Everything else is pretty normal around the Bunker. There aren't too many sick turtles to tend to but it won't be long since the weather will be changing pretty soon now. Just Jim is getting so old yet I have never seen him as vicious as he has been this season. I have a dog cage he resides in most of the day due to his constant harassment of mostly Tarzan, the male leopard tortoise. He is joined by the new guy, Zappo the Wacko (another Greek tortoise), who enjoys chasing people's feet and viciously and relentlessly biting them (and mating with their shoes) So he is in the dog cage as well when people are expected and I have not worn flip flops all summer!! He escapes from the various 'prisons' I have around the yard and the only place he cannot escape from is the dog cage. I hope he didn't bite anyone at the Turtlerama. The strange thing is that they (the Greeks and also the Hermann's tortoises) never seem to get tired. They will chase people and other tortoises all day never stopping to eat or drink. And the ramming is so intense - sounding like someone is repairing a fence. All morning, all afternoon and up until dark. Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam. They WILL stop for a brief moment if I put food down, take a bite and then continue chasing and ramming. I do intervene after awhile. It's too bad nobody thinks about mating. I just threw out 28 empty Greek tortoise eggs. Sad. One hatched. It was a miracle. That was little June on June 1. An only child!!!
This and That Does your turtle or tortoise have to hibernate? Not necessarily. If you are in a panic mode, keep it awake indoors. It will be a bit sluggish for awhile but as time goes on, will adapt to being indoors and awake. I am no fan of artificial lighting mostly because people don't know how to use them. The lights are too close to the turtle or tortoise and on way too long - common sense disappears! The sun is not directly overhead 18 hours a day yet people read 'on the internet' that more is better??? Our eyelids would swell up too exposed to that much light every single day. There are rainy days in Nature (not so much in Sacramento!!) so leave the lights off when you look at the weather forecast for where your tortoises ordinarily would live. Don't overdo it!! Be alert. When you see those puffy eyelids, you know the light is the cause. Good Luck during the coming months, feel free to contact the club with your concerns via email, Facebook or whatever. If you call me, please speak clearly and a little more slowly. Most calls - well - people say their name and phone number so fast that nobody can understand it! Sorry! I play them over and over again and say "WHAT?" Happy Merry by the way!! And a healthy hibernation to all of our little shelled friends.
FOR SALE: 1 Yellowfoot hatchling
$95 Beautiful baby redfoots $75 each and Eastern Box babies, really cute $25 each. Please contact me before the meeting and I can bring them there. Corrine 707-648-1037 or email: turttort16@yahoo.com
Thanks to all who helped and exhibited at the Turtlerama including: Craig Gifford who was in the library the night before to help me set up and helped out at the event; Shirley and Traci at the infamous sale table & provided refreshments, Jim Corbett who tirelessly helped everyone set up and then break down their exhibits at the end, (and helped clean up the meeting room and outside area), Chuck Deguara (water turtles), Patty Richardson for helping; Casey Coffman showing off her adorable box turtles, Terry Williams had her box turtles there; Susan Seljuk was there to help; Glenn and Susan had their CA desert tortoise there as well as Betty and Bill Raiford with Tillie, the desert tortoise they adopted from me several years ago and she is doing great, Sally Hodapp, your turtles looked wonderful; Joy Cornette, thanks for bringing your pool full of box turtles; Easterns and Asians for all to see, Suzanne, we enjoyed seeing your box turtles again, Corrine, your redfoot hatchings looked so beautiful and healthy, (but I think they were at the meeting?) Melissa Aipia, thanks SO much for your help all day, Sharon Jones I loved seeing you there. Thanks Terrie Sheffield and Joyce Hermann for doing a great job with the Kids Corner creating beautiful and enjoyable crafts with them. They were magnificent!!! Kristina Sanchez and her daughter Ashley traveled up from Los Angeles to be at the show and Kristina was yelled at by the same librarian for trying to set up her dad's beautiful carved wooden turtles for sale. Michael Rajkumar had a great display consisting of his Snakeneck turtle (Longicollis); his spotted turtles and a giant Mexican musk turtle PLUS an ornate Diamondback terrapin. They looked terrific. Thank You Debra for serving drinks and snacks from the back of your car. You were very thoughtful. And thanks to Steve Tamantini and his Mom Angie for bringing the beautiful plants and Ruby and Alan Nakano as well. What would we do without all of you??? THANKS TO ALL FOR MAKING OUR TURTLERAMA A HUGE SUCCESS!! (PS - Luke and Lois were out of town for the Turtlerama but set up their beautiful desert tortoise habitat outdoors during our Summer club meeting. Everyone loved it.) Hope I didn't leave anyone out. Let me know!!! |
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