My Pets

Ricky on December 30, 2011

2012-01-08T16:01:00.002-05:00

He was trying to take a nap. I was bothering him..Ha!

Gigi-October 22, 2011

2011-10-25T22:28:00.003-04:00

Gigi is ten years old and is doing real well. She's free to fly all day long but stays near her or Ricky's cage. She has a toy in her cage and she loves it. There's four buttons and when she pushes them it says somehting and one laughs. She pushes that one the most.

Ricky And Jasper-October-2011

2011-10-19T21:47:00.003-04:00

Ricky was riding on the back of my walker. He likes doing that. I will ride him around the apartment and say, "Weeee". He will lean down and spread his wings as we go..

Jasper's first walk around the apartment in over a month. One of her back legs is not working too well. This has been going on ever since she laid eggs. She's eating very well and lots. She got up on her log in the water for the first time in two months so she must be feeling stronger. It's good to see her acting more normal again.

Ricky And Jasper-July 17th-19th-2011

2011-07-20T15:31:00.005-04:00

Jasper is still hanging around my feet wherever I go. She follows me all around the apartment. She's eating every day now. She eats her turtle sticks and pieces of apple and two small shrimp. And she's sleeping most of the night in her water now. That noise is still underground though. maybe she's just getting used to it now. But she does want to get out every day and walk around. I have to be careful now. She follows me around all the time and I never know when she will be right there under my feet. I sure don't want to fall.

Ricky

July 5, 2011-Jasper Crawling Around

2011-07-06T15:42:00.003-04:00

She was trying to find a place to hide I think. She tried climbing up onto this box to get under the bird cage covers.

She finally made it up there and then came back down. it's amazing how turtles can climb when they want to. She still doesn't want to be in her water for a very long time. That vibrating noise is still going on.

Jasper-July 1, 2011

2011-07-02T21:19:00.002-04:00

Jasper seemed real tired and she wasn't walking very fast and kept coming over to me. So I held her for a while. She's not getting much sleep. The next day she seemed better and did eat some shrimp. I think she wants to lay eggs. She was digging with her front feet today. Hope she don't get egg bound.

Jasper Sitting By My Feet-June 29, 2011

2011-06-30T08:46:00.003-04:00

Poor Jasper. She still won't eat much and can't sleep because of that noise underground somewhere here in the village. The vibrations are just too much for her. I put her in the tub but she never sleeps. Then I let her back out and she follows me all around the house and never sits still.

Jasper-Gigi And Ricky-May-2011

2011-05-28T09:52:00.004-04:00

Gigi playing with that talking toy and looking out the window.

Jasper hasn't been eating nor wanting to stay in the water lately because of a vibration noise coming from outside somewhere. It sounds like a water pump deep inside the ground. It's not from this building. I still think it's coming from the water tower on the hill behind us but the village denies it. It's been running for over three months and the noise and vibration is driving me mad as well as Jasper. She had climbed up onto this little cassette holder I have next to my dresser in the bedroom. I don't know how in the heck she climbed up there. I was afraid she'd fall off so put a pillow on the floor beneath her. She had gotten into my package of bed pads and had them lying all over also.. I never use them anyway. Turtles are amazing in what they can do.

Ricky and Gigi on May 24th, 2011

Jasper In The Tub-May 16, 2011

2011-05-17T20:37:00.003-04:00

This is Jasper in 1996

She stayed in for about an hour before wanting to get out. Now she's under my night stand in the bedroom. That humming noise was real loud last night. It even drove me crazy. Can't imagine how it bothered her. I don't hear that noise yet tonight. It's a miracle! It hasn't shut off for three months. But last night it didn't start up loud till 10 PM. I'm hoping we both can get a good night's sleep for a change.

May 14, 2011-Jasper

2011-05-15T20:01:00.003-04:00

Jasper is having a hard time lately. There's been a vibrating noise coming from somewhere outside. Sounds almost like a sump pump. It runs 24 hours a day. The vibration can be felt in my apartment through the cement slab under my feet and the sound drives me crazy at times. Jasper hears through vibrations and this is really bothering her. She won't stay in her water at all. Maybe for an hour in the mornings when the vibration seems less. This has been going on for three months. She hasn't eaten in that long either and I'm very afraid that she will die. She is very restless. Here she is walking around the apartment and goes under the recliner chair. Sometimes she might sleep for the night under there. Right now she's in my bedroom on top of a pair of slippers. She hasn't been in the water at all. I will put her in it in the morning. Just so she can get wet and drink if she wants to. When she wants to go back in the water she will go in the bathroom and wait by the tub. But that was before all this started. Now I have to put her in even if she don't want to.
I haven't heard from the girl that was going to take her. She got laid off here. I think I will contact her though and ask if she wants to still take Jasper. Otherwise she might die.
Jasper looks healthy but you can't tell with turtles. They could be sick and you can't tell.

Gigi And Ricky-May-2011

2011-05-10T10:32:00.002-04:00

My Birds-Gigi And Ricky-April 7, 2011

2011-04-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

Gigi And Ricky-March-2011

2011-03-30T20:01:00.002-04:00

Gigi likes to explore more now and goes to the top of the curtains sometimes and looks around. She's doing great!

This is Ricky when he was sitting on my dresser one day. His reflection in the mirror.

My Pet Cockatiel, Ricky-Feb 23, 2011

2011-02-28T13:10:00.002-05:00

More Of Gigi Chewing Magazines-January 31, 2011

2011-02-01T14:50:00.001-05:00

Gigi-January 5, 2011

2011-01-07T20:56:00.002-05:00

She seems to be doing okay since Rudy died. She's coming out more and bothering Ricky like she always did. And she sings and chatters. Maybe she likes being alone now. Who knows? I do...Ha! Ha! She will be ten years old in April.

Gigi And Ricky-January 3, 2011

2011-01-04T10:15:00.002-05:00

Gigi sitting in the doorway of her cage and Ricky on his. Gigi is doing okay. She sings now and then so I guess she won't be dying from a broken heart after Rudy died. At least I hope not. She still won't come out as much though. In time I think she will.

Photos Of Rudy After He Died And Gigi-12-27-2010

2010-12-29T14:29:00.002-05:00

December 27, 2010-Sad News-Rudy Died

2010-12-27T11:06:00.004-05:00

This is poor Rudy holding his foot up under him after he hurt it.

My pet parakeet (Budgie), Rudy, died this morning. He had hurt his foot somehow yesterday and He was having a hard time climbing but could still get up on the perches and was very healthy except for that foot pain. I looked at it and it had a slight crack in the area where it folds on one of his claws. Sort of like it would be in between our fingers. I thought he'd heal up fine and be okay. The only trouble was the female kept picking on him and making him fall off his perch or get away from her. She would not leave him alone.
I uncovered them at 8:30 this morning and Rudy was lying in the back corner on the floor as if he had fallen off the perch. He was still quite warm so I think it had just happened not too long before that. I thought I heard a noise earlier but I was in the bathroom and didn't think about him. I thought it was the squirrels on the window. If I had looked earlier I might have been able to save him. He was just about nine years old and I've had him since he was a baby. Gigi is the same age and I presume she won't be living much longer. Now she will be very lonely. She will have no one to pick on any more. They did get along good though and Rudy would always preen Gigi and try to feed her. I will miss him. I didn't think he'd die before Gigi. And I didn't think they'd be dying before me. At least now I won't have to put him to sleep and if Gigi goes to it will be much easier on me than thinking about having them put to sleep when this cancer gets so bad that I can't take care of them any more. Rest in peace Rudy.

Ricky And I-December 18, 2010

2010-12-19T14:32:00.002-05:00

Ricky always sits on my computer desk while I'm at the computer. He never wants me out of his sight. Guess he thinks I'll go away again..Ha! Someday I will. For good. But not for a while yet. I'm feeling great right now and will enjoy these last days while I can.

After I Got Out Of Hospital-Dec. 3, 2010

2010-12-11T10:43:00.002-05:00

My Ricky, The Cockatiel-Nov. 6, 2010

2010-11-07T20:08:00.001-05:00

He likes to be near me when I'm on the computer.

November 1, 2010

2010-11-02T11:05:00.002-04:00

Ricky, My Cockatiel-July 10, 2010

2010-07-11T17:22:00.003-04:00

Gigi Is Feeling Lots Better Now-July 6, 2010

2010-07-07T22:24:00.002-04:00

I am so happy that Gigi got better. I thought she was egg bound and was ready to die. But now she's back to her old self.

Ricky Loves Ice Cream

2010-06-28T15:48:00.003-04:00

Ricky loves to lick out my ice cream bowl after I'm done.

My Birds. Gigi Is Sick-June 27th -28th, 2010

2010-06-28T15:24:00.003-04:00

My Parakeet, Gigi, looks like she might be egg bound. The poor little thing is having a hard time pushing anything out and the insides are sticking out of her. I got hold of her and washed her up behind there to see if I could feel an egg but I didn't. So maybe it's something else. She has been like this before but not with her insides sticking out. She always came out of it okay. So I'm hoping. She is nine years old though and is getting weaker. She's always been a little toughy. I remember when I first got her at 8 weeks old. She'd fall on the floor and climb right up the sides of the cage to get back in. Rudy, the male, never could do that. he'd wait for me to pick him up. I love my pet birds. They've given me much enjoyment and company over the last nine years.
The next day, which is today, the 28th, she seems to be a bit better and her insides are not sticking out any more. She flew around with Rudy a bit and is free to go wherever she wants but sticks to the cages mostly. She seemed to be spitting up her food though. I'm not sure if she can eat anything. I haven't seen her poop either. I'm keeping an eye on her. I was half expecting her to be lying on the bottom of the cage this morning but so happy she wasn't!

My Turtle Is A Female!!

2010-05-10T14:52:00.003-04:00

After over fifteen years of having this turtle and calling him Jasper, I now find out He is a SHE!! I heard this real loud noise coming from him yesterday morning, like he was passing lots of gas. When I looked in the water there was this big oblong thing lying there. It was flattened a little but it was definitely an egg! Never in all these years has she ever laid an egg! Of course they aren't fertile but now I have to worry about her becoming egg bound. That egg was not liquid inside. it was a solid substance. I'm wondering how long it was inside her. I threw it away before thinking to take a picture of it. But this morning she had laid two more. They are odd looking. I'm letting her walk around the apartment today to get more exercise in case there are more in there. I looked it up online and they say to give them a nest with sand but I can't do that. I have no idea what triggered this egg-laying cycle. Can't find much about it. I'm adding some info on this kind of turtle for you all to read. Along with a picture I took of the eggs and "Jasmine". Ha!

With a naturally upturned "smile" and a pug nose, the African Side-necked Turtle has a great face!

The African Side-necked Turtles or African Mud Turtles have gained in popularity in recent years. There are 15 species in the Pelusios genus, along with a single member in the Pelomedusa genus, Pelomedusa subrufa, known as the African Helmeted Turtle. These active turtles are hardy and curious (and somewhat aggressive). They are also prolific breeders and live a long time. Shy at first, these turtles acclimate well and quickly exhibit their inquisitive nature.

Most African Side-necked Turtle species can be kept in relatively simple enclosures as they have fairly modest requirements. They like to have a place to swim and also love basking, especially in groups. When basking they are alert but very shy, plopping into the water at the approach of their keeper. They will soon become tame however, and though they dive off into the water of the enclosure, will quickly surface to see if any food has been offered.

Turtles don't instill the cautious concerns that some folks have when dealing with other types of reptiles. However adult females of most species of African Mud Turtles get larger than most first-time pet buyers realize, with adult females reaching 9-12" inches within five or six years. Also, when threatened these turtles can exude a horrible musk odor. This is most often exhibited by wild caught specimens. Fortunately after settling into captivity they rarely exhibit this behavior.

Distribution: This group of turtles are known as the African Side-necked Turtles or the East African Serrated Mud Turtles. They are classified in the genus Pelusios and Pelomedusa and belong to the family Pelomedusidae. There are fifteen species in the Pelusios genus found in Africa, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. Pelomedusa subrufa, the single species in this genus, is found throughout much of Africa and on Madagascar.

Status These turtles are not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description: Some specimens are lighter in color, such as a dark brown and even tan, but generally the African Side-necked Turtles are gray to black overall with dark skin. They vary in size, P. castaneus adults grow up to 12" (30 cm) in length and P. sinuatus adults to 20" (50 cm). Pelomedusa subrufa remains small, reaching only 6" to 8" (15 cm to 20 cm) in length.

Care and Feeding: African Side-necked Turtles feed eagerly on commercial aquatic turtle food and will eat fish, crayfish, worms, and even crickets. They will also pick at aquatic plants and especially enjoy taking bite-sized pieces from the leaves of water hyacinth and water lettuce.
Related Video:

Environment:
In the wild, African Side-necked Turtles or African Mud Turtles are found in a variety of habitats from rivers and shallow pools to large lakes. In captivity most can be kept in relatively simple enclosures.
They are tolerant of a wide variety of water conditions but will do best in 8 -10" of clean, filtered water. They are avid group baskers and will plunge excitedly into the water when approached. They usually swim a short distance and then quickly surface in case the visitor has food to offer. The enclosure should feature a variety of decorations including piles of rocks and driftwood for basking. Decorations and aquatic plants add variety and provide hiding places for smaller turtles, subordinate males, and females uninterested in the courtship advances of aggressive males.

* Larger species: The larger turtles such as P. sinuatus and P. gabonensis can be set up in pairs or trios in large aquariums (75-gallon to 100-gallon) or larger tubs and stock tanks.
* Smaller species: The smaller turtles such as P. subniger, P. castanoides, and Pelomedusa can be set up in pairs or trios in 60-gallon aquariums or medium tubs and stock tanks.

Care must be taken that these, and any turtles, are not released into a wild habitat. The reasons are many. The introduction of non-native species can lead to the introduction of diseases and can lead to hybridization of introduced and native species. In addition, many turtles raised in captivity and released into wild situations are confused, unable to cope with extreme weather changes, and many surely fall prey quite quickly to the wary predators they may encounter.

Handling: Captive-hatched specimens, as always, are the best to keep as pets and most will become so docile that they can easily be fed by hand. These and all aquatic turtles should be considered wonderful display animals and not pets that are easily held.

Breeding: African Side-necked Turtles are prolific breeders and females can lay multiple clutches each year. While egg-laying, females bury themselves deeply, even up to the base of their front legs. The depth achieved could be a defensive strategy against monitors or other egg-eating predators or could be a safety measure to allow eggs to avoid the extreme heat and drying potential of the hot African sun close to the surface of the laying area.
Baby African Side-necked Turtles are hardy and grow quickly. Keep them in an aquarium with clean filtered water, warmth, UVB rays, and a few sturdy basking sites. They feed well on a variety of food. They relish small invertebrates, especially worms, and they quickly begin eating commercial aquatic turtle food. Keep aquatic plants such as Cabomba, Anacharis, or duckweed in their enclosure to satisfy their herbivorous needs.

Ailments / Health Problems: None if kept properly, these are tough turtles! Once their parasites have been removed they settle well into captivity.
Shell Damage: Typically, African Side-necked Turtles arrive with varying amounts of shell damage. Minor cases heal well if treated with a Betadine ® scrub and if the turtles are kept in a warm, sunny environment. More serious cases may require treatment with Silvadene ® cream. Access to direct sunlight helps immensely with treating most shell problems.
Parasitic worms: (nematodes) are often found in newly imported specimens and they should be deparasitized with Panacur ® within a short time after they have established and started feeding well.
Eye problems: Occasionally, imported African Side-necked Turtles exhibit a variety of eye problems. These are typically the result of dehydration and poor conditions during shipping and can range from a minor filmy covering to more severe swelling. Filminess will usually disappear within a few days of placing them into clean, filtered water. More severe problems may require the application of an ophthalmic antibiotic. A good basking spot and plenty of sunlight as well as good water quality will prevent most eye-related problems.
Respiratory problems: Though somewhat cold hardy, when exposed to cold weather for an extended period of time, these turtles are prone to respiratory problems.

Availability: African Side-necked Turtles or African Mud Turtles are commonly imported from Africa, but captive-hatched specimens are the best pets. These can be purchased from better pet stores, from breeders at the larger reptile shows across the country, and on-line.

May 1, 2010-My Budgies

2010-05-02T20:09:00.003-04:00

Rudy and Gigi seem to be enjoying their conversation. Then they are eating Ricky's lettuce instead of their own.

My Birds-April 23, 2010

2010-04-23T21:52:00.002-04:00

My two parakeets are getting up there in years now. They are both nine years old. Not sure how much longer they will live. The average is 8 to 12 years I think. My Cockatiel will be 8 years old in June.

My Birds-November 23, 2009

2009-11-23T21:12:00.003-05:00

Ricky And I-Oct. 24-25-2009

2009-10-25T22:16:00.002-04:00

My Turtle Jasper

2009-09-28T14:30:00.001-04:00

Collage Of Ricky My Cockatiel

2009-06-19T22:48:00.002-04:00

Ricky is doing a little better now since Pumpkin died. He needs me more though and wants to be with me constantly. I've taken over the duty of preening his head feathers. Ha! He's in the bedroom with me in these photos.
A video of him. It's a little dark but you can still see him.

Pumpkin

2009-06-01T20:22:00.001-04:00

In Memory of Pumpkin

2009-06-01T14:38:00.002-04:00

My pet female Cockatiel, Pumpkin, died during the night. It's a very sad day for me and for Ricky, the male, who is trying to understand what happened to her. Yesterday morning she wouldn't eat as normal and only wanted to drink water. She didn't seem to be able to get the water down though and would shake her head and it would go flying. She wanted to be left alone and got on the floor and into a far corner, where she sat for quite a while. When she did come out I picked her up gently and put her in the cage to see if she would eat but she only drank the water and did not want to be in the cage. So I put her up in the cupboard where she has a big large bowl made into a nest. She likes to sleep there. She was making little noises when I talked to her. Very weak. She was happy to be back in there though. She got right into the nest and stayed there. Ricky, my male Cockatiel, wanted to go in there real bad. I let him one time but all he wanted to do was push her out. He does not like her in there when he wants to play and walk around the house. He was always a bit too bossy with her but they got along generally and would get into trouble together and walk around on the floor. I kept him away from her the rest of the day. He didn't like that one bit and was screaming the whole day. I checked on Pumpkin before I went to bed and she was still alive and resting okay in there. But this morning she was dead and still in the same peaceful looking position.
I got Pumpkin in 2000 at the age of 5 months. She had already been with someone else but the girl brought her back to the pet shop saying that her boyfriend did not like the bird because it squawked all the time and he would smash the cage and yell at her. She was so friendly at the pet shop and my brother wanted to buy her for me, even though I didn't want another bird at the time. I already had two parakeets. But I got her and she was so pretty and friendly and I could hold her and she'd sit on my shoulder and pull my hair. If company came, especially men, she'd want to get on their shoulder and talk in her way at them. It was so cute. She never did say any words though. I guess she got to like my brother, who had stayed at my place for a week after coming home from England. Pumpkin loved him.
Pumpkin started laying eggs when she was around a year and a half old. I felt sorry for her so went to the pet shop and got a fertile egg for her to hatch. That is how I got my male. They never were mates but just friends. He never fertilized her. She continued to lay eggs and for the past year when she did, she'd have problems. Sometimes the egg would break inside of her and I thought she was going to die long before now. A couple times the shell would be half out so I'd gently pull it out, even though they say you aren't supposed to. Then her insides were sticking out at times and I'd have to push them back in. But that hadn't happened in quite a long time. A couple months ago she smashed into the wall and hurt her shoulder. She could still fly but her one wing hung lower after it healed. There were many times I thought she was going to die, only to pull through and be okay. Yesterday she seemed good except for the water and eating problem. She didn't seem egg-bound or anything. But I'll never know. And I'm not about to pay a Vet to tell me why she died. She has always been a little stressed and would pick at her feathers when she was nervous. I think the male bothered her a little too much too. But she lived a good life for the nine years I had her. They both would come into the kitchen every morning and have breakfast with me. They loved their scrambled egg and spinach every day. And they were always allowed out of their cages all day. They would follow me around from room to room.
I'm not sure if I did the right thing by letting the male see her body. He won't leave it now and is very quiet, saying her name now and then. He stayed with her body for a couple hours and now sits on top of the cupboard as if waiting for her to wake up. I will take the body away tonight after he is to bed in his cage and covered for the night. I know he will be screaming for her all day tomorrow and maybe longer till he realizes she is never coming back. I feel so sad for him right now.
Was that the right thing to do? I'm not sure but I think they have their own way of dealing with things too and I thought it was best for him to know. Otherwise he might just think I did something with her and yell at me for the rest of his life..

My Budgies-4-30-09

2009-05-01T12:59:00.002-04:00

More Photos Of My Birds

2009-04-24T14:26:00.003-04:00

Ricky, my Cockatiel and Rudy, my Budgie.

Pumpkin hurt her shoulder. You can see the damage. She crashed into something. She can still fly but that wing hangs lower now.

A Collage Of My Pets

2009-03-25T12:16:00.000-04:00

Click on photo to see the full view