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I wonder about friends handling my turtle especially after tonight. My friend came over and wanted to see Mikey so I took him out and let her hold him. I said be careful as he will crawl everywhere and he's really fast so either get a good hold of him or put him on your lap or the floor. Two seconds after I say that Mikey takes a flying leap for the floor. Luckily he wasn't hurt, he landed in a shoe box that was about a foot lower then where he plopped and he was fine. I checked his shell for cracks and any injuries and nothing. Plus he's doing just fine in his tank right now.

But I warned her and yet tahdah the turtle falls off. So now I'm just thinking if someone wants to see him either a. He stays on the floor after you plop your butt down so you don't sit on him, or b. I hold him. Even my dad had a hard time holding him today too. (He really is a fiesty little guy, he wants to run all over.)

So what do you do when friends want to see the turtles?

My advise is...

You see with your eyes, not your hands. If you don't feel comfortable with them holding him, its your right to tell them no.

I wonder where flutterby got that advice... (That's exactly what I use to tell the kids growing up... seeing means with your eyes.. touching means with your hands. ) If you feel uncomfortable telling people they can't hold them, use the old salmonella scare tactic and tell them that turtles carry salmonella. It is true even if it isn't dangerous

I figured since I told her that he likes to run and crawl that she would listen to me, plus she's an older woman so I figured she wouldn't be like a kid who would drop the turtle as soon as it moved. But I guess either like I said you sit on the floor or when I get the new tank set up you can just look through it.

I just figured people would listen a little better.

Whenever someone wants to pick up my RES, I tell them they have to go through a "disinfecting process"--they are usually incredulous, especially when I tell them that I don't want my RES to catch anything they might have. Usually, they find it too much of a bother and suddenly prefer to just look at him.

The only person allowed to touch or pick up my res is me. My husband is banned also. They're wiggly little suckers and ppl can 'pet' them if they're in their feeding container, but no picking up. I was even a bit nervous with my herp vet handling them even tho I know that he knows what he's doing.

It does get sensitive when it comes to touch. My vet wears gloves, so I guess I'm more agreeable with that.
I only handle my turtles, my parents handle the tortoises

cam722 wrote:I wonder where flutterby got that advice...

that was so cute!