Other Turtle Discussion :: Another confirmation of a disappointing trend (Article)

[steve]

link: Store sees return of the turtle

Excerpt:
THE SOUTHERN (Carbondale, Illinois) 19 June 06 Store sees return of the turtle: Tiny red-eared sliders make comeback as hygeinic pet (Christi Mathis)

Du Quoin : It’s so tiny - about the size of a quarter. It’s bright green with a minuscule head bearing bright red markings jutting out.

There are probably few baby boomers in Southern Illinois who didn’t have one of the nifty little pet turtles sometime during their childhood. And now, the red-eared sliders are making a big comeback.

In fact, Josh Kiefer is selling them about as fast as he can get them in at his Du Quoin shop, Sea Creatures.

[steve]

"...They are fun to play with and educational, and should they grow too large for the owners to keep in a suitable habitat, they can safely be released in any freshwater lake, river, or pond to live out the rest of their lives."

*sigh*

[DanielRES1180]

That's truly sickening . Most of the points the guy said were either inaccurate or vague in the details. It's sad that this guy is selling helpless turtles to baby boomers who don't know any better.

What angers me most-

The turtle hatchlings grow to be about eight to 10 inches long eventually and have the potential to live about 30 years or more

Sounds like he is handing out that Petsmart care sheet talked about recently.

They grow at most about an inch or so a year and they’re quite inexpensive to own. Feed costs just about $12 annually and care is quite simple.

Sure, they'll grow that way if you keep them in those conditions. The initial cost is cheap, but wait till the vet costs and so forth kick in.

[sonyj]

Oh, that's so sad... it just infuriates me.

They have a comments box under the article.... Any feel like commenting?

[DanielRES1180]

I do.

[missibsu]

I plan on commenting. I think the author of that article should have done her research. Good grief, did she just interview one person??? Of course the shop owner is going to say things that make people want to buy them.

I would think someone with some authority should be stepping in on the comment about releasing them into the wild. We already have so many problems. If he's selling 400 a month, and even half of those people decide they can't keep them, that 200 extra turtles in the wild that weren't there before. Not to mention that is taking into consideration only one month.

Ahhhhh!

[gammeragirl]

OMG, salmonella free?? Is that possible? I thought salmonella was a natural bacteria for an RES. I can imagine that people are buying more than one, with all that propaganda!

[jenaero]

this is what i posted

This article is ridiculous. Do you people do ANY research before publishing this bull??

First off, it is IMPOSSIBLE for a turtle (or any animal) to be guaranteed 'salmonella free'. Salmonella is a necessary gut bacteria that EVERY TURTLE carries!

Secondly, to say "they can safely be released in any freshwater lake, river, or pond to live out the rest of their lives" is just irresponsible. Red eared sliders are KNOWN as an invasive species. They are found on EVERY continent in the world now, besides the arctic because of pet owners who decided they got too big to care for. They are competing with the native species of turtles for food and for space and they're winning. This is a HUGE threat to the ecosystem.

It absolutely sickens me that this man is selling hundreds every month, only for them to be dumped off into the wild later because HE says it's ok. Who is this guy?

Hey, I've got an idea. Why not get into selling puppies? They're small, and when they get too big, you can just dump those off too. I'm sure they'll be just fine in the wild to fend for themselves after being dependent on humans their entire lives until they get too big.

I'm tired of people who think reptiles are disposable pets simply because they're not warm and fuzzy.

Go hawk something useful.

[missibsu]

I like!

Here's mine:

I think that Christi Mathis should have done a little more research before publishing this article. Several so called facts in this article are grossly distorted. It breaks my heart that others will read this article and see it as the 'truth'. A female turtle can grow as big as 12 inches, and that means 120 gallons of water at a minimum. That also doesn't take into account a nesting site that will be needed because if you have a female, it's going to lay eggs.

What about those people who buy two turtles? Did anyone stop to explain that they might now get along? If they don't, which is possible, then you are going to need two complete set ups!

I don't understand where $12 annually comes from. I spend about that much each month. The cost of a basic set up alone has put me over that limit, and I will still need to upgrade as my turtles grow. Did anyone mention a basking area? How about UVA as well as UVB? A decent filter, or a water heater? I can do some of the math for you, but you aren't going to like the results.

Another cost factor is food. So, you can spend 12 bucks a year and feed your turtle just pellets, but in all reality, that is not a balanced diet. A variety of veggies and fruits are also part of that diet.

Raised in the conditions that are discussed in the article will lead to a sick turtle. You can bet that 12 dollars annually does not include a trip to the vet for any reason.

The issue of dumping unwanted pets into the wild has already been addressed in other comments, so I won't waste my breath (fingers) on that topic.

This article makes me sick to the stomach, and frustrates me beyond belief. I think the Christi should take the time to do more research and publish another article from a different stand point, other than someone who is in the business of making money.

[jenaero]

i cant find mine on that site tho....can you find yours?

[missibsu]

It says that it will take 24-48 hours for it to be posted if they choose. Which means I suppose that they could turn them down. Then my next step is to email the author directly. Her email address is at the top of the article.

[TinySlider2]

OMG I can not believe they printed this. This makes me so mad. I am planing on making a comment to them when I get off work. That way I can think about what all I am going to say. Every comment that has been left is not a good one. I think that everyone should make some kind of comment and maybe they will do a follow up print of all the bad comments they got.

[sonyj]

I love yours Jen. I hope it shows up soon. You said everything I wanted to say but didn't quite know how to put it that forceful!

I hope they print a retraction or at least acknowledge how wrong they were.

[industrial_girl_2000]

link: Store sees return of the turtle

Excerpt:
THE SOUTHERN (Carbondale, Illinois) 19 June 06 Store sees return of the turtle: Tiny red-eared sliders make comeback as hygeinic pet (Christi Mathis)

Du Quoin : It’s so tiny - about the size of a quarter. It’s bright green with a minuscule head bearing bright red markings jutting out.

There are probably few baby boomers in Southern Illinois who didn’t have one of the nifty little pet turtles sometime during their childhood. And now, the red-eared sliders are making a big comeback.

In fact, Josh Kiefer is selling them about as fast as he can get them in at his Du Quoin shop, Sea Creatures.

Yikes. I guess for some people, fairy tales really are real! Too bad the author lives in La-La land.....

[DanielRES1180]

Man you guys are an inspiration . Missi and sonyj gave me some of the ideas on mine. I'm sure they'll turn down most of the letters here here because it's somewhat insulting and it isn't written for their convenience. Maybe we should all e-mail the author directly at once. It'll send the message that she'll have to get the facts straight, or simply not write a piece of crap like that. At least I'll e-mail the author. Anybody fell like getting a speech off their chest?

By the way, here's mine-

Oh yeah, an add-on, I don't know why Christi Mathis would actually publish something that inaccurate. It nurtures this type of ignorance that has pretty much plagued the pet world in every which way. Just when the public is waking up and realizing that this isn't right, out goes a piece of crap like this. As I put it, one step forward and five steps back. I suggest if Mathis is going to write something downright stupid like this, she is going to have to take on a lot of criticism. Come on, the world isn't flat anymore. Get your facts straight and then write when you're done.
Red Eared Sliders held in captivity cannot be released because they do not know how to survive out there. They (RES) also take over the entire ecosystem where they are introduced. They simply cannot be released. I guess at least half of these people will release the turtles they bought. And with 400-500 sold a month, the environment can't take that big of a punch.
RES require more than the basic rock in the bowl setup. I never heard about filters, basking lights, tanks, dry pieces of land that are big enough, heaters, and so forth. Either the article didn't go into depth or the whole blotter was wrong anyway (the latter is correct). Obviously, the cost is more than $12 yearly- by a long shot.
No turtle can be guaranteed salmonella-free. It is a bacteria already in them, and they do release it in times of distress. No amount of cleansing and sanitary conditions will get rid of salmonella.
I don't know what it is with people that think reptiles are disposable just for the fact that they are reptiles. Sure, why not raise a dog and release him when the darn animal gets too big to lug around.
Shame on the bad apples, Christi Mathis for writing the article, and on Mr. Kiefer for making his profits all at the expense of the turtles in his horrible prison. - Daniel Irigoyen