Posts tagged "turtle"

Families all over the world are enjoying exotic monkeys, birds and reptiles as pets, not realizing that criminal gangs may have taken these animals from Asia illegally -- leaving some forests almost completely empty of natural creatures.

According to a report by the UK newspaper The Observer, countries in Southeast Asia are being drained of their wildlife species to fuel the exotic-pet trade, particularly in Europe and Japan.

'Empty forest syndrome' is what researchers are calling the damaged habitats left behind by the exotic animal business. "There's a lot of forest where there are just no big animals left," Chris Shepherd, of the wildlife trade monitoring group Traffic, told The Observer. "There are some forests where you don't even hear birds."

Criminal gangs control a lot of the wildlife trade, Shepherd said, and the kidnapped creatures often wind up in cages or aquariums in the homes of European families who are unaware of how they were acquired.

While hundreds of millions of these exotic animals may be have been taken illegally, they aren't the only threat to these natural habitats. There is also a brisk legal trade in exotic pets contributing to this empty forest problem. More than 35 million animals who were lawfully exported out of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries in the last ten years, The Observer reported. Of those, 30 million were taken from the wild.

Turtles, lizards, snakes, birds and macaque monkeys are among the most common species plucked from the forests of Southeast Asia. Seahorses and coral are removed in great numbers from the region's oceans.

In the U.S., responsible pet owners are (rightfully) quick to condemn puppy mills and other unsavory sources of dogs and cats. But few probably realize where their exotic snakes, geckos and aquarium fish may be coming from. It's time to start paying attention.

What do you think Paw Nation? Do you believe exotic animals should be pets? Or should they be left in the wild?

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the Web each week!

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  Tiny Toads on The Move

  African spray toads dodge extinction and find a new home in the Bronx Zoo. Apparently they'd always wanted to visit the Big Apple. [via NYTimes.com]

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  Nurse Bunny

  A paralyzed rabbit works as a therapy pet at a hospital in Israel. Other, lazier, therapy animals are secretly annoyed with the overachieving bunny. [via People Pets]

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  Blinded Turtle

  After having his eyes gouged out in Greece, this turtle finds a new life in the UK. [via Guardian.co.uk]

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  Turtles Take A Wrong Turn

  An Aussie and her neighbors save hundreds of baby turtles who wandered into the street. In other news, loggerhead turtles name her their queen. [via ABC.net.au]

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  Chillax, Bro

  "Man, am I tired. I've had a rough day of eating fruit and checking my skin for parasites. Now I just wanna kick back." [via Telegraph.co.uk]

Name: Box Turtle

Personality: These reptiles are often considered personable.

Care: Box turtles need a safe outdoor enclosure (protected from raccoons and other wild animals) or a large indoor enclosure. If kept indoors, it's best to have opaque sides on the enclosure, as some box turtles will obsessively try to reach the area on the other side of a glass wall. These turtles require spaces where they can hide and feel secure such as logs or boxes. In addition to needing a pool of water, their environment must be very humid. Box turtles will eat almost anything, but you should provide a varied diet of fruits, fungi, veggies, greens, mollusks, worms and insects.

Box turtles are endangered in many states, and you should never take them from the wild. Not only is it bad for that turtle, it could dangerously diminish the local box turtle population. Only buy them from reputable breeders, and check the laws in your area before you bring a box turtle home to make sure you that you will be keeping this pet legally.

Common Health Issues: Most health problems box turtles face stem from malnutrition; mouth rot, swollen eyes, anemia weight loss and abscesses all can occur. Additionally, box turtles can suffer from respiratory disease, internal infections, organ failure, bot fly and maggot infestation, shell disorder and overgrown upper jaw.

Training Tips: This is a pet you're better off watching and enjoying. They're not well known for being trainable.

Name: Red-Eared Slider

Personality: Most of these turtles are quite calm, but some can be aggressive and snippy.

Care: This is not a turtle you can put in a plastic bowl and be done with. Red-eared sliders require a bit more work. They grow to be about 12 inches long and need either a very large tank (over 100 gallons) or a pond to call home. They need water (75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit) in which to swim, an ambient temperature of 75 to 80 F, and a basking area with a temperature closer to 90 to 95 F. They also need proper lighting and filters. You'll need to clean the water and tank often (because red-eared sliders are messy), and, of course, they'll need a proper diet.

Common Health Issues: Two of the biggest problems red-eared sliders face are metabolic bone disease and Vitamin A deficiency, both of which can be avoided with proper lighting and the right diet.

Training Tips: Red-eared sliders aren't really pets to be trained. It's up to you, as an owner, to keep them safe and contained if kept outdoors. They might learn to show excitement and come toward you when you call or approach, particularly with food, but this isn't always the case.

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the Web each week!

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  Helen Collar?

  This feel-good story just goes to show that being deaf and blind is way easier if you're a dog. [via Detroit Free Press]

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  Cute, Classy Cathouse

  MC Escher would have loved this place. [via Modern Cat]

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  Beasley's Beasts

  Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam Beasley on NBC's The Office, is more than just a pretty face; she's a kitten-adopting machine. [via People Pets]

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  Doggy Gucci

  What's better than a pet fashion show? Being able to watch it while you sit at home in your underwear. [via PetSugar]

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  Turtle's Crying Game

  Turns out Mary the turtle should have been named Manny. He's a man. It's understandable; he's only been at the zoo for -- wait, 50 years?![via People Pets]

Thinking about adopting a pet turtle? The shelled reptiles now come with a warning. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found that 107 people became ill with salmonella in 2007 and 2008 after coming into contact with turtles, Yahoo News reports.

Salmonella cases linked to turtles occurred in 34 states. Fortunately no one died from the illness, but a third of the infected people had to be hospitalized, according to Yahoo News.

Most people associate salmonella infections with contaminated foods (like the tainted peanut butter that caused an outbreak last January). But many pet owners don't realize that the disease also occurs naturally in turtles, reports the CDC. The reptiles can carry the salmonella without getting sick or showing any signs of infection -- and the bacteria can easily spread to people who handle the animals.

Devoured "District 9"? Wolfed down "Wolverine"? Ingested "Inglourious Basterds"? Still hungry for more? Just because it's September doesn't mean the summer blockbusters are done!

We at Paw Nation are aware of your need for some more, so we have compiled a few "dramatic" animal videos for your viewing pleasure. From predatory pelicans to brainy beagles, you won't be hungry after you pig out on today's video roundup.

It can take anywhere from five minutes to five years to teach your critter to roll over, but once they make the connection between trick and treat, the results can be adorable.

We've rounded up videos of some brainy non-canines who have mastered the art of rolling and aren't afraid to showcase their skills, whether it be for some chow or just a moment in the spotlight.

Despite state laws, a rare western pond turtle named "Mr. Turtle" will return to his family in Ridgefield, Washington after showing up at a Hazel Dell pet store last month.

The Mason family adopted the turtle 21 years ago at a lake in Northern California, but Mr. Turtle is a part of a species considered to be extinct in Western Washington.

Harriet Allen, manager of endangered and threatened species for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, gave the Masons the good news this week, emphasizing that the state is making an exception to laws that prohibit the possession of wild animals.

California officials declined to take the turtle back because of the risk of health and disease with an animal held in captivity for so long. Mr. Turtle technically remains the property of the state of California and cannot be transferred to anyone else without the permission of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"We are making this exception due to the circumstances regarding the captive history and care for this turtle since 1988," Allen wrote.

Barry Mason and his wife, Chae Yo will pick up their beloved turtle early next week at Seattle Woodland Park Zoo. Mason suspects someone picked up Mr. Turtle during a large gathering at their house in April. "He's dear to us, and it will be good to have him back," Barry Mason said.

Welcome back, Mr. Turtle! We're so happy the state emerged from its shell on this matter.

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