guess what i fished out of my pool........

when I was a kid(30+ years ago) it was Marine TURTLES, Land TORTOISES and Freshwater Tortoises in Australia.The Americans always had the terminology if it lived exclusively on land, tortoise, if it lived in water, turtle.We have since as Numpty stated, gone to Freshwater Turtle to describe all Australian species living in freshwater and Marine Turtle for those living in salt.We have no native tortoise.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DEFENDERZOOK

i dont know if its a wild turtle.......or if someone has lost a pet........

last week my neighbour said he saw a turtle in the driveway........

and now...a week later theres one in the pool......its gotta be the same one......
there cant be too many running around..........

---

you'd be suprised, how far to your nearest creek, dam, stormwater drain, small body of water etc???Longnecks typically go for overland walks and I have found them kilometers from water.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Creature Features - Licensed Pets

Info here on legality and licences.

Unfortunately, the permit only allows you to keep captive bred reptiles. It is illegal to keep a "wild" one as a pet.

The pool water is probably not very good for it - will probably eventually die from drinking it.

---

I wouldnt panic a great deal about the legality of hanging on to it for a while, though technically illegal I cant see the stormtroopers from NSW NPWS kicking your door down over an educational experience for your kids,although they used to use that tactic repeatedly to justify their existence in years gone by.Like I said, best to look at it ,enjoy it and let it go.(now who said that?);)There are plenty of captive bred, licensed stock in your area available if you want to go that way, figure on around $200 all up for turtle, tank, accessories, licence etc..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by crump

when I was a kid(30+ years ago) it was Marine TURTLES, Land TORTOISES and Freshwater Tortoises in Australia.The Americans always had the terminology if it lived exclusively on land, tortoise, if it lived in water, turtle.We have since as Numpty stated, gone to Freshwater Turtle to describe all Australian species living in freshwater and Marine Turtle for those living in salt.We have no native tortoise.

---

So after 40+ years I find out I once owned a turtle and not a tortoise.

Sort of like thinking you once owned an old Range Rover but later found out it was just an old Jackaroo.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ferret

So after 40+ years I find out I once owned a turtle and not a tortoise.

Sort of like thinking you once owned an old Range Rover but later found out it was just an old Jackaroo.

---

or dating the prom queen and marrying the lunch lady.:D
BUT, 40+ years ago was before the ban on animal imports, you may have owned a tortoise, I know several people my grandparents age who had true land tortoises (more then likely Greek or Leopard Tortoises) as children and as these things live for a hell of a long time you may have been that lucky.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by crump

I wouldnt panic a great deal about the legality of hanging on to it for a while, though technically illegal I cant see the stormtroopers from NSW NPWS kicking your door down over an educational experience for your kids,although they used to use that tactic repeatedly to justify their existence in years gone by.Like I said, best to look at it ,enjoy it and let it go.(now who said that?);)There are plenty of captive bred, licensed stock in your area available if you want to go that way, figure on around $200 all up for turtle, tank, accessories, licence etc..

---

hmmm..hmmm..knock knock......


oh - luv the name for SWMBO - "handbrake" - have to start using that term - how apt! (Handbrake thinks I'm bit of a dipstick/block/crank/..... I guess).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by crump

I wouldnt panic a great deal about the legality of hanging on to it for a while, though technically illegal I cant see the stormtroopers from NSW NPWS kicking your door down over an educational experience for your kids,although they used to use that tactic repeatedly to justify their existence in years gone by.Like I said, best to look at it ,enjoy it and let it go.(now who said that?);)There are plenty of captive bred, licensed stock in your area available if you want to go that way, figure on around $200 all up for turtle, tank, accessories, licence etc..

---

Neither would I - just giving him full info...

I may have (allegedly) had a short-necked turtle for a pet when I was young (kept him in a large fish tank with a rock he could sit on when he got sick of swimming). He loved eating live fish, occasionally he would only get the tail end and it would continue swimming around until he finished it off. Eventually released him.

Knew a few other people who had one too.

go the paludarium - fish tank with land area and plants etc...

had one for 18 years, eats all the cockroaches, worms, crickets, moths, mosquito fish you can catch... always entertaining in the tank part of the paludarium, easy to get food for it too (local park lake has millions of mosquito fish in it, use a dip net to catch 20 or so and stick em in the tank... all gone in a few weeks :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Numpty's Missus

Years ago you'd drill a hole in the poor tortoises shell and stake him down attached to a long piece of string so he couldn't escape

---

and that practise was brought about by them being referred to as "tortoises" heaps of aquatic turtles died slow deaths from being tethered out of water.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Numpty's Missus

We were always told never to feed pets with locally caught fish because they carry disease. Maybe its just the ones in our area :D

---

definitely the case for sharing a tank with other fish... but given it's a native animal that comes from places just like the lake from which said mosquito fish come and it has lived for 17 years thus far under my care, I'm not too worried :)

that said, only healthy mozzie fish make the cut :)