Dear Members and Friends:

Our Fall meeting will be held on Saturday, October 20th from 1:30 until 4 at the Belle Cooledge Library located on the corner of Fruitridge Road and South Land Park Drive. This will be our annual pre-hibernation meeting and Father Dimitri will be on hand to check your turtles and tortoises over and decide whether or not they should be able to hibernate safely. Keep in mind that YOU have the final say on hibernation. If your yard floods, then you definitely do not want to allow your box turtles to hibernate under those conditions. Every season brings its own dangers but I feel hibernation is the most scary. If your turtle or tortoise is already asleep, please do not bring it to the meeting and do not pass your pet around the room unless it is in a container. We'll have plenty of hibernation talk too. Feel free to bring a turtle for show and tell. I have another 'apartment turtle' to show you. Pretty sad.

I know a lot of you bring delicious items to each meeting which is greatly appreciated, however, the Fall meeting is our 'official' pot-luck gathering so bring a dish to share and see if you can come up with more turtle shaped foods. Halloween costumed turtles are optional.

After the summer meeting in July, Shirley and I found ourselves kneeling on the floor scraping up squashed grapes and other food items. We were very tired and it was a hot day and we are begging you to please help us clean up the room before you leave. A lot of you want to talk to us after the meeting and raffle have ended not realizing that the room has to be returned to its original condition. So, please talk all you want, but while you are doing it, help load up my car and clean the floors and help move the tables and chairs back where they belong. THANKS!!

Our 26th TURTLERAMA was a huge success. After all of these years you would think the excitement would have lessened. Not so! There was a tremendous crowd the entire day. I would like to thank Shirley for her untiring work at the sale table, Sherri, who helped me with the memberships all day, Sharon Jones, Tracy, Joy, Linda, Pepper & Anakin, Sylvia & Don, Suzanne and Adrian, Mary, Craig, Lisa, Debbie, Michael and Sara, Glenn and Susan, Ron and Lynn, Brenda, Ernestine, Chris, Mary and Jennifer and also Mary for helping set up and break down the displays and generally clean up afterwards. YOU WERE ALL WONDERFUL!!! THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!! Special thanks to Jennifer who donated 10% of her total from the sale of her box turtles, to the Sick Turtle Fund. It is appreciated and put to good use At The Bunker!!

SEE YOU ON OCTOBER 20th!!

Fall & Hibernation Hints: Should hatchlings be allowed to hibernate? In the wild they do, but in our yards, it is always a dilemma. I personally let the turtles or tortoises dictate what they want. Some are robust and eating and show no sign of slowing down. These can be kept awake. But if they slow down and sleep a lot towards the end of November, by all means, let them cool off and sleep for about 8 weeks, from Thanksgiving until the beginning of February. This would apply to the hardy turtles and tortoises, not the exotics from Africa or South America. They must never hibernate. Use your common sense and do not believe what you read on the Internet. Keep the tortoises very dry. Do NOT put a dish of water in with them. And keep the box turtles moist at all times. As long as your yard does not flood, adult box turtles can safely hibernate either in their doghouses or compost piles. But desert tortoises should not be allowed to hibernate outdoors in Sacramento. It's much too damp. In boxes of dry clean leaves in the garage is preferred. Some people keep them in a cool room in the house. Or in a closet. Good Luck!!

From a Connecticut Bunker: Dear Felice, Please accept my dues plus my annual donation to the Fat Betty Scholarship Fund for Meteorology. I enjoy your newsletters so much and I thought I'd update you on our Connecticut Bunker! The new outdoor pen was built by me during my vacation and the gang has gone wild. At the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society show, we took first place for our 3 Home's Hingebacks and one of them, Lieuzerne, has gotten his own degree in Meteorology and can now predict rain. Since his mate died tragically from egg-binding, he has become violent toward the other two. He holds the female hostage and attacks her mate if he approaches. He pushed him right out of their doghouse with his shell and then laughed to himself (see photo!) [I'll bring it to the meeting - ed] The two Jordanian Spur-thighs - Gracie and Dr. Goggles - have engaged in a threesome with Sweet Pea the young Leopard tortoise. Dr. Goggles has also engaged in some strange tryst ala Woody Allen when he has been mounting his adopted daughters (Gracie's young daughters). Just Jim would be so proud. On a sad note, Gracie lost her eldest daughter, Frankie, to leukemia. I think they're moving on though. The young painted turtles have taken to biting their reflections in the mirror and the female ran around the bathroom laying little eggs - she's only 3 years old!! Much Love, Diane Petrillo

At the Sacramento Bunker: In August, someone gave me two Greek tortoises, but not like my "Just Jims". These are lighter in color and well behaved. But I had a problem. I had the three naughty Greeks, Just Jim Junior, Just Jim the Jerk and Just Jim the Jackass in the enclosure with the box turtles because if they are on the lawn, they chase and bite and mate with anything wearing a shell except, of course, females of their own species!! I decided to move the bad boys to the side of the house and put cement blocks across the front to keep them confined. It seemed escape proof. Around 6 the next morning, I awoke hearing a lot of muffled banging below the bedroom window. It didn't sound like human activity. I hoped I was dreaming. It continued. So I got up and got dressed and went out and nobody should ever have to see something this disgusting first thing in the morning. JJJ (Just Jim Junior - the smallest and meanest of the 3) had obviously managed to get out of his new enclosure and traveled completely across the back yard and down the other side towards the gate. There he found Blondie, the 30 pound leopard tortoise, asleep and minding her own business, in her doghouse. He then proceeded to relentlessly slam himself into her shell. I guess Blondie decided at some point that enough was enough. What I saw, never to forget, was JJJ sliding and sloshing around in totally black mushy pooh. Blondie must have purposely squirted it out like that, perhaps to lessen his blows because he had no foothold in the slime!! I wore the face of comedy/drama! I picked up JJJ and holding him way out in front of me so I wouldn't be hit with flying doo doo, took him to the hose. Blondie and her doghouse also got hosed out, so I had quite the busy morning before breakfast and had lost my appetite by then!! I might add that at 4 AM, the Driveway Patrol went off by my pillow and I ran downstairs to see what set it off, preparing to face a raccoon. At first I saw nothing. Then I saw Chester, the Elongata, casually taking a 4 AM stroll through the yard. Will I ever get a full night's sleep?

Once again, a healthy hibernation to all and don't hesitate to call or email if there's a problem. Thanks for all of your extra dues which is put to good use and your kind words to me included with your dues. It is appreciated. And thanks again to Shirley for keeping that sale table up and running smoothly. And thanks for the donated raffle items. You guys are terrific!! Enjoy the upcoming holidays.

NEVER LET A SICK TURTLE OR TORTOISE HIBERNATE AND NEVER LET A HIBERNATING TORTOISE GET WET.

Notes: If you bought your turtle at the recent reptile show, please come to our meeting so you can learn how to care for it. Remember, AQUARIUMS ARE FOR FISH!!!

I recommend AVON SKIN SO SOFT BATH OIL to get rid of ants. I put some on a cotton ball and smear it on their trails and they are gone quickly.

Future Meeting Dates:

January 20, 2008 Slumberama (1-3 or so)
April 19th - Spring Meeting (1:30-4:00)
July 19th - Summer Meeting (1:30-4:00)
August 16th - TURTLERAMA (11:00-4:00)
October 18th Fall Meeting (1:30-4:00)
January 17th 2009 Slumberama (1:00-3:00)