Finally, a New Issue of Sex, Turtles and Rock & Roll Arrives in Your Mailbox

I bet some of you have actually given up ever getting another newsletter.  I did too!  Actually I was very busy.  I was hired by the state to clear brush.  Yeah, that's it.  No. No. Oprah asked me to host her show every other week and I had to prepare.  Yeah.  That's the ticket!  Wait.  I became a lion tamer at a famous Las Vegas hotel. 

Never mind.  The real truth is sometimes ugly.  The rescue has been so loaded down with turtles and tortoises that I could barely get my work done on my real job.  Marshall and I are drowning in water turtles (can you say 50 - 60 red eared sliders?), sulcatas and other various species.  This week alone we had 12 sliders come in, and last week it was six.  Believe me.  If one more person says that "they want to donate a slider," I'll rip her nose off and feed it to one of the water turtles. 

Of course, the great sulcata dumping continues.  Our thanks to those of you who stepped forward and asked to adopt them.  If you have at least one useable acre that I can come and visit, with no dogs and predators, you win the prize…A big fat sulcata who will deliver tasty poops to your door daily.  Four went out today.  Two in Ventura and two in northern California.  We have four more to place along with 50 water turtles.  Please, I beg you.  If you have a pond - in the ground or above ground, please adopt some of these adorable sliders.  They are easy to keep (don’t even need a filter) and they will give you hours of relaxing pleasure.  If you live in Southern California, you get first dibs.  Call me at 310-589-8802 only if you are dying to give a home to one or more (or 20) of these guys (do not call me for any other reason!!! Or I'll hang up J ).  Please come and get 'em.  If you are out of the area, sent me an e-mail with your city and how many you can take.  But if you want to adopt - no tanks, dogs, or raccoons.

The rescue is officially closed to tours through April 31, 2001.  The turtles are rehearsing for hibernation.  I see them stumbling around from leaf pile to leaf pile with their eyes closed.  Unfortunately, the big sulcatas do not hibernate so you will still see me dragging 30 pounds of food out every day. By the way, I told everyone about cuttlebone being a source of calcium for tortoises.  It is, but remove the hard backing with a knife first and throw it away, Break it up into small pieces.  We had Popcorn develop a nice impaction.  On x-ray there was a big hunk of the stuff stuck in his upper intestine.  It took Marshall and I two months of hand feeding and force-feeding to get him to eat again.  Whew - we were spastic.  We thought he would die.  

Speaking of hibernation, we get a lot of questions this time of year.  You'll notice everyone slowing down right now.  Except for deserts, I hibernate all the turtles, water, box, Mediterranean, Chinese box, Russian…outside.  I build giant leaf or potting soil piles and fill dogs houses full of same throughout the yard.  They know what to do.  The deserts, on the other hand, hibernate in a cool place, in a box with a lid and holes punched in (we like the file storage boxes you can get cheap at Staples), and put them in a closet, behind the sofa, under the bed or in the garage.  Shred newspaper, put it on the bottom, put in the tortoise, put more newspaper on top, put on the lid.  Put it in the oven at 350.  Ooops…Just kidding.  Make sure that the tortoise gets a warm water soak before you put him in to purge his bowels - dry him off.  You can do this one or two weeks after he stops eating for good.  Questions?  Send me an email at turtleresq@aol.com or FAX to 310-589-6101.  No Calls Please.

ATR Expands National Reach By Joining with East Coast/No. Cal Turtle Groups

We have been blessed with the good fortune to have ATR volunteer Karen Benzel in Northern California and Lori Green head of Turtle Homes in New York join with us to find homes faster and more easily throughout the country.  Many of our requests come from Southern California, but we have adoption forms from Italy, the UK, Alaska, Hawaii and Singapore. We try to arrange to have the turtle adopted as close as possible to where it is.  But that's not always practical.  It's too cold and cruel to keep a sulcata on the East Coast or in the Midwest, for example, so we have it sent overnight to ATR.  If you want to adopt, make sure you fill out a form for both ATR and Turtle Homes.  Here's a little message from Lori: "Since the summer of 1999, Turtle Homes has worked with rescue groups such as American Tortoise Rescue rehoming hundreds of turtles and tortoises that find themselves either sick, hurt or owned by people who can no longer take care of them.  If you are interested in adopting a turtle or tortoise or putting a turtle or tortoise up for adoption, you can go to www.turtlehomes.org."  Thanks Lori!

Adoption Gets Harder At ATR for Many Reasons

Some of you sent in adoption forms several years ago.  You must think I used them on the floor of the birdcage.  Not true…I have every single one.  Some of you are so surprised when I call and say, "I have a tortoise for you!"  But here is what accounts for the delay:  1.  Nothing in your area.  You live in Toad Suck Ferry Arkansas and want a Redfoot.  Good luck.  2.  Nothing comes in that you want - some exotic thing no one every dumps. 

3.  You want a female desert tortoise…hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.  Oh sorry.  These are as hard to come by as Shaq's autographed diapers.  However, as many of you will attest…they do come in.  They go right back out the same day.  So don't give up hope.  4.  I call you, and you don’t return the call.  It's first come first served.  I need to place these guys RIGHT NOW!   5.  You have a tiny piece of land.  You have roving packs of dogs living at your house or even a tiny poodle.  You get points off.  6.  You have tiny children who will rip the heads of a turtle or eat them and get salmonella.  My advice.  Wait until they hit 12.

Donations Hit the Big Time at ATR

Not that we are rolling in dough mind you.  But we have had a few very generous donations allowing us to save some money for emergency vet visits (they always break the bank) and put in beautiful shiny new water and electricity in all the turtle areas.  Now I do not have to drag a 300 foot hose all around or illegally string yards of extension cords together.  What we need now are a couple more new enclosures - we need money, cinder blocks, rebar and someone who knows what they are doing.  Any construction guys out here who build things?  We sure could use discounted building materials.  We also can use Reptomin, cloth baby diapers (new please), veterinary surgical towels (the blue ones), postage stamps, unused syringes, Baytril, Sulfadine…medical supplies - we went through 14 bottles of Baytril since March.  Thank you in advance!!!  And need I say cash and checks YEA!!!

Turtle Tidbits^© 

So many people write or call us about those tiny green hatchlings being sold.  Please take 15 minutes and do this:  When you see people selling turtles under four inches, contact US Fish & Wildlife (under United States Government in the phone book).  The original Federal law was under their jurisdiction. Then call Fish & Game or the Department of Natural Resources - whatever your local state agency is.  Complain. Then call or write the local animal shelter, the Department of Health Services and your local congressman and state representative.  Do this repeatedly.  Once they confiscate the turtles, let me know.  Use the word Salmonella and kids over and over when you are complaining. 

• Update on the Kuehl bill to stop cruelty in the live markets in California.  We cannot get the Asian community to stop eating turtles, but we think that they might stop treating them cruelly.  The bill is on the Governor's desk. Passed a lot of committees.  Our love and thanks to Erik Mills and Virginia Handley.  Pray and then pray some more that Gov. Davis signs it.
• Remember our Pacific Coast Hwy address is a mailbox, not a drop off.  This prevents turtle theft.
• Deformed shells = poor diet and no real sunlight.  Do your turtle a favor and place it for adoption if you have relegated it to a life in your house.  Also age is not determined by rings on the shell.  If you didn’t hatch it, good luck guessing the age.  For good care sheets, visit the www.tortoise.org Web site.  They also have a list of vets that specialize in reptiles.  Our web site tortoise.com is being updated. 

ATR and MTA Films Entertainment are proud to announce the launch of a series of turtle videos.  They are in production right now.  The first is available for sale before Christmas.  Called "Just Turtles," it is 45 minutes of turtles basking, eating, playing, fighting and just being turtles (and tortoises).  Set to music, this beautiful visual experience was filmed entirely at your favorite Malibu rescue.  It will delight you and your children!  Those too small to have their own turtle can enjoy the beauty and wonderfulness of the turtles and tortoises right in your home with no mess to clean up!  Order yours today.  Send a check or money order for $ 24.95 (includes shipping and handling).  Order by November 15th to have by Christmas.  This is a timeless gift that you will enjoy over and over.  Watch for announcements about our care videos for sulcatas, sliders and general turtle health.  Black ATR t-shirts (size extra large only) and hats are on sale too!  Shirts are $16 and hats $10 - they make great holiday gifts!  Remember, every penny goes to American Tortoise Rescue to help the torts!!

"Give me the helpless, the lost, the homeless little ones struggling just to live, the innocent refuse of an uncaring land.  Send these, the weak abandoned lives to me -

I offer hope, care, warmth & love."

The Pledge of a Rescue Worker (author unknown)