MEET BOBA

Last month, I was out enjoying my town's local matsuri, when I passed a shop displaying a big tank of red-eared slider hatchlings. They were so cute. I couldn't resist.

750 yen later, I have a turtle.

Meet Boba.

Named after the infamous bounty hunter from Star Wars, of course.


I used to keep red-eared sliders (RES) when I was really little, back in grade school. One of them was a fighter, but his companion would keep dying for unknown reasons, so we kept going back to the pet shop to replace it. I think he had 2 or 3 different replacement companions, but in the end they either all died or we gave them away, or set them free in a pond. I forget. In any case, I was young then, and the internet back then wasn't what it was now, so now I know a whole lot more about RES turtle care!

I only recently discovered that since 1975, it is illegal to purchase any turtle under 4 inches in diameter in the United States because of salmonella risks. Turtles and reptiles still can carry salmonella, regardless of size- but when I found out, I laughed because this meant all the turtles I bought when I was little were all illegal. Oh well!

Here are some of my first shots of Boba, taken with my phone. He was pretty scared when I first brought him home, but now he paddles towards me with the speed and ferocity of a small bounty hunter after his prey- er, food.

bounty hunter, hunting the ever elusive turtle pellet.

He lives in a small tank for now, furnished with a few shelter rocks, a filter, and a ceramic plate. He seems to like it well enough. When he gets bigger I'll move him to a much larger tank which can accommodate a heat lamp and basking platform, but for now he is quite comfy.

Those beady eyes *_*

He still gets startled and insta-dives into the water whenever he is basking and someone approaches or comes into the room. A bounty hunter never lets his guard down, I suppose. *sigh*

So there he is. With some luck and a lot of love, one day he will become a big healthy turtle, and then I'll need to build a big indoor pond. Turtles can live for more than 30 years, so I hope he survives a long time! A long life of eating, sleeping, basking, and pooping. Turtles sure do live the life.

I wish I were a turtle.