Dear Members and Friends:

Our Fall meeting will be held on Saturday, October 20th at the Belle Cooledge Library from 1:30 until 4. It is our pre-hibernation meeting, so feel free to bring your turtle or tortoise for a checkup. All I ask is that you keep your pet in a box and not hand it around the room because this activity could cause stress and illness. If your pet is already asleep, please do not awaken it, ok?

Several of our club members have expressed an interest in giving a little presentation including Joy Cornette regarding UV heat bulbs. Sally from Grass Valley plans on being there to discuss her desert tortoise problems and Rich Spekner would like to bring several exotic species for Show and Tell. Bring a dish for our Pot Luck and thanks ahead of time for all who do! The Club will supply the soft drinks.

We are also in need of quality turtle and tortoise items for the raffle table and auction. If you have any items you no longer need or have doubles of, please consider this request.

The proceeds always go into the Sick Turtle Fund.

The Turtlerama was a huge success. We signed up 19 new families at that time, with more memberships coming in often from people who took the application home with them. The show was less crowded which made it much better for all involved. Those attending could enjoy the turtles and tortoises without being pushed aside and they could learn so much more from chatting with us. Shirley and Julie did a magnificent job at the sale table and we couldn't do it without you. Thanks to Sharon Jones, Joy Cornette, Sharon Chancellor, Craig, Kim, Suzanne, Darlene, Steve, Joe Torres and Joe and Sara, the Sadler family and to Jennifer for frying up her delicious home-made egg rolls for us. They were the best we ever had. (My apology to anyone I may have missed) Thank you all so much for making Turtlerama 2001 an unforgettable event.

SEE YOU ALL ON OCTOBER 20th

Hibernation Hints:

The summer went by too quickly as it always does. Other people, without turtles and tortoises, do not notice the weather changes as much as we do because they have no animals dependent upon the weather for their survival in their back yards.

When we had the surprise thundershower the other night, I knew you were all outside, as I was, being lit up by the lightening, hunting for our creatures while holding our flashlights, to make sure they were in their shelters and out of the rain.

If your turtle or tortoise was sick during the summer, it is better not to let it hibernate. When they go to sleep, their defenses are down and any illness that might be left will become fully active again while the tortoise sleeps and he will either die during hibernation or wake up very ill. If you hear your desert tortoise kicking up a fuss in his hibernation box, be sure to check him out because this is a sign that something might be wrong. Offer some water, check for swollen eyes or a runny nose and if all seems ok, then put him back in his box and cover him up. Sometimes we have a warm spell and that causes them to awaken for awhile which is of no concern.

Box and water turtles do best if left outdoors to hibernate naturally. If kept in the garage, they will dehydrate because of the lack of humidity. It is impossible to imitate Mother Nature in a garage. The reason we keep desert tortoises in the garage or a cool closet is because they cannot get wet but box and water turtles need to be wet. That's the difference.

Things were slow. The summer was cooler than normal and not many eggs were being laid. Even the biting, fighting, chasing and mating rituals lessened. Then the sick turtles began arriving at my door; box and water turtles with swollen eyes and runny noses due to the weather changes. With a lot of TLC and a little medication, all of them went home healthy and eating again. Quiet returned, but not for long.

A large desert tortoise arrived. “She” had been picked up by the right rear leg by the family dog and swung around violently before the owner could rescue “her”. The leg seemed to be sprained and “she” could not walk on it and was dragging it behind “her”. I gently pushed the leg into the area where it belonged and then duct taped it so “she” couldn't use it. Unfortunately, the duct tape wouldn't stay on very long. I put the tortoise into the greenhouse so that walking would be minimal. Soon after, the weather became very warm so I took the tortoise out of the greenhouse, which had gotten too hot. It was immediately evident that this was no lady!! Within minutes, the head was bobbing furiously up and down and my leopard tortoises, who were quietly eating, were suddenly being pushed around and bitten by the intruder. Obviously the tortoise was a male and a very aggressive one at that. The naughty Greek tortoises immediately fell in love with this big guy and began mounting him and making their little squeaky toy sounds as he was biting everyone else. It was back to the greenhouse at once!

My main concern was this guys leg. I had to find a way to immobilize it. Without Dr. Frye to call, we are all more or less on our own. I tossed and turned all night and suddenly figured it out. PANTYHOSE! In the morning, I opened my dresser drawer and took out a fresh pair of pantyhose and cut off the legs. Out to the greenhouse I went and looked the tortoise in the eye. He didn't know what to expect. I tied the pantyhose leg tightly around his right rear leg bringing it up around near the front left leg, sort of like wrapping a gift and tied it into a bow on the top of his shell. It is working like a charm and he can walk without further injuring the leg. He has not missed a meal, which means he is not traumatized at all.

I've had to watch carefully because he is a strong tortoise and manages to undo the wrapping from time to time as he walks about. After 4 weeks went by, I unwrapped him and am happy to report that the leg is 75% better and in a few more weeks, he'll be as good as new. I hope this article helps others who find themselves in this predicament.

Our deepest sympathy to the victims and families who lost loved ones in the recent terrorist attack on our country. On the night of the attack, I saw my leopard tortoise, Miss America, walk out to the middle of the lawn, dig a hole and deposit 6 eggs. She showed no sign of being ready to lay eggs, no pacing and no loss of appetite. I don't know what it means but I will definitely name the babies after some of the victims of the senseless attack.

Hibernation Facts

Tortoises become lethargic during October, they start eating less and less and are trying to empty their system of any food still left inside. Occasionally the white slimy substance in the urine will take on a different color. If you have decided your tortoise is well up to hibernation, do not try to give it an extra “force-feed” for the winter, the tortoise's digestive system is already slowing down and any food not digested gets left in the bowel and will have a chance to rot.

Some people advocate giving their tortoises lukewarm baths every other day for about three weeks so as to make sure all food has been passed through. Personally I feel it is unkind to subject the tortoise to a bath at this time of the year, especially since the temperature cannot be raised to dry the tortoise off properly. Should you put the tortoise in the warmth after the bath, the digestive system would start up again doing no good at all. If you can, let the process take its natural course, if you want to give a little help, pour some lukewarm water over the tail end occasionally. It has the same effect as a bath would have and does prevent the tortoise from getting a chill. Advice given by Henny Fenwick in her book 'Taking Care of Pet Tortoises'.