Not a big house but this is our sweet home.  They fill the plastic case with the water.  There is a large plate over the case so that we can enjoy good sun bath.   It's a piece of cake for us to go in and out via the brick stairs.

We eat once a day.  "Tetra Repto Min" is our main meal.  They give us not a same amount every day to day.  Sometimes a big portion and other times less.  There are days they don't give us anything.  We're told that this is the way to maintain the pace as if we were in the Mississippi somewhere.  And they claim we can keep our good shape but I'm not convinced.  Give me more !

When we are exhausted such as right after I spawned, they give us rare chicken.

I, Ponta, have been laying my eggs for four years since I was two years old.  I am the pioneer.

Once it comes close, I don't feel like eating at all.  Going out of the water and wandering around.  I become very frustrated and a bit unstable.  But I'm just trying to locate the best place for me to spawn.  I may continue to look for the safest place around a week or two.

There is a Scoop movie, "Gonta-Ashamed".  Check it out !  She is about to do so.

It suddenly comes to us regardless of day or night.  We usually lay seven or eight eggs in an hour or so.  We like to surprise people so that we pick up the place behind something.  Even just myself spawn three or four times a season.  What a tough job !

You cannot imagine how exhausted I am once I spawned.  And I'm starving to die.  I manage to go back into the water and waiting ages until they give me something to eat.  What a slow life they live, come now and give me a food !!!

Well, they find my bloody and sunken eyes to realize what I have just done.  "Well done, Pon !" and the raw chicken comes.  I'm almost eating chop sticks but I'm generous enough to share my portion with Gon and Piyon only sometime.

We live on 10th floor in the balcony around the center of the city.  It is very cold in winter.  Temperature like 10 - 15 Centigrade (50-59F) in November is almost freezing cold for us, cold-blooded animals.  I don't want to move around but just stay.

I don't eat a lot.  If there is a warm day, I may eat some but if I don't eat anything for one week or longer, I cannot sustain myself.  It's time for my winter sleep.  I'm always sleepy these time.

Late November, they put lots of dead leaves into the water.  This will bring us into sleep.  We feel very relaxed under the leaves and feel comfortable so we can sleep well.

Late December, it is seriously cold and we may die if they don't prepare for the protection below zero (32F).  They place a cage around our house and shield them with cardboard paper and plastic screen.  This will protect us from rain.  They can still watch us as the top roof is transparent.

Even during the winter, we sometime wake up if it's a lovely warm day.  We move our face out of the water and they give us something to eat if they realize we awake.  I am happy to eat as the food is since very long time.  It sometimes gets stack in my throat but I feel so happy once I'm stuffed.

They refresh the water even during the winter maybe once a month.  They change leaves as well because they have rotted over time and the water gets dirty.  We don't want to sleep in such an environment.  The work is done while I'm dreaming...

Did you know there are not many vet who can see us, turtles ?  It is because our life style is not very well understood yet.  But we have our doctor to see.

Some years ago, we were sent to one of the pet shops for two months when our masters went travel.  The owner of the shop was such a lazy guy and we couldn't get the water refreshed every day.  As a result, our shells have been infected.  It was a terrible experience and we were only two years old kids.

Then we've met this nice doctor, our hero.  He runs his animal hospital in our city.  And the best thing about him is that he also looks after his turtle in his house.  He understands us very well.

We were suffering from diarrhea, rotten shell and lost our appetite.  He saved all of us !  What a nice guy !  We love him.

(Last update: 30-03-2008 )