An Interesting Peice of Livestock

[skiutah]

Originally Posted by Madison
I can't believe I am reading this crap...

skiutah ~ maybe you should put on a cape and call yourself Batman! better yet..Turtle Man...here to the rescue!
I hate to bring up the Bible...but doesn't it say the let those who has not sinned against me cast the first stone?
For all of you not familiar with the Bible...didn't Tupac say Don't hate the player, hate the game???
What are you jealous that you can't afford 10k for a pet?!
Yes! it's illegal! but who do you think you are?! calling the cops after you 2 faced the kid and went to his house??? if you feel so strongly that an injustice has been done...go join the SPCA, join the LAPD, join the boy scouts and help old people across the street...but to hide behind the phone???? what a wuss...
*****disclaimer******
1. Having that turtle in captivity is both illegal and WRONG!
2. IMO!!!!!!! Skiutah's cowardly, wantabe super hero actions are the root of my anger!

Are you kidding me? I can't believe you just said "What are you jealous that you can't afford 10k for a pet?!". What does that have to do with anything? You really think I thought "Man, I can't afford a 10K pet, so I'm going to turn this kid in". Turtleman? How old are you? OMG... I can't belive I'm aruging with someone so immature. One more thing... NO I'm not jealous and YES I could afford it if I wanted too.
"IMO!!!!!!! Skiutah's cowardly, wantabe super hero actions are the root of my anger!"
As far as I'm concerned you should be removed from this forum. I was posting an incident and I thought that you guys would be interested in the situtation. I'm not an idiot, I knew that I was going to be criticized by a bunch of people for not doing what they would have done. I can take criticism. But to come in here and post comments like that? Calling my actions cowardly? I'm a wanabe super hero? I'm not even going to say anything.
This comment is also directed to Anthony as well. Calling me a loser? Who are you guys?
Give your 2 cents on the situation and lighten up a bit. Don't come in here and call people names. God, I feel like I'm in junior high again.

 

[madison]

hike up them pants to your chest and push up your glasses...ta da! here comes Turtle Man!!! I am here to save the world!!!! All you evil doers beware!!!! after the turtles...I will be coming for all you without tags on your mattresses!!!!

 

[skiutah]

Originally Posted by Madison
hike up them pants to your chest and push up your glasses...ta da! here comes Turtle Man!!! I am here to save the world!!!! All you evil doers beware!!!! after the turtles...I will be coming for all you without tags on your mattresses!!!!

WOW. No comment here.

 

[madison]

Who are you guys?
We are aquarists...we are gather here on this forum to discuss and share our experiences...we are not here to soliciting pats on our backs for committing a 2 faced action that has nothing to do with "Fish Discussion"
If you think that your actions were not cowardly...then why didn't you confront the kid and since you have already CSI'ed the kid's home phone...why didn't you call the father and educate him?
Actions speaks louder then words!!!
As I left I just got the house number so in case I wanted to call.
false pretense to a minor...look it up! now who's break the law?

 

[skiutah]

Originally Posted by Madison
We are aquarists...we are gather here on this forum to discuss and share our experiences...we are not here to soliciting pats on our backs for committing a 2 faced action that has nothing to do with "Fish Discussion"
If you think that your actions were not cowardly...then why didn't you confront the kid and since you have already CSI'ed the kid's home phone...why didn't you call the father and educate him?
Actions speaks louder then words!!!
false pretense to a minor...look it up! now who's break the law?

First of all, I was there on business. I was in that area for only 7 hours. I had 1 hour to kill, so I went to the beach that day. I had to leave and catch a plane. Like I said 2 posts ago. I knew I was going to get criticized from those who wouldn't have done that, but I was just SHARING AN INTERESTING INCIDENT. I was just commenting that you shouldn't come on here and call people names etc.. Just my thought. Can we just stop this? I already know what you think, I know that you love this hobby like I do, I don't want this post to keep going like the way that it is. My apologies to you if I have offended you by my actions.

 

[madison]

Done...
I too apologize if I offended you!

 

[fish_feed6]

um...hoesntly...why did you even post this here? it seems it just got some people fighting over something that doesnt even matter....its a turtle. and since hippys cant afford a salt water aquarium then i guess nobody should be to concerned. on one hand you 2 faced a teenager that trusted you enough to let you in his home, on the other hand your trying to save a turtle that would die in the wild anyway. its all uphill from here.

 

[puffer24/7]

ski u seriously need some help. may i suggest dr.phil

 

[skiutah]

Originally Posted by puffer24/7
ski u seriously need some help. may i suggest dr.phil
OMG, I'm not listening to a 15 year old.

 

[nate_m]

Originally Posted by Nate_m
skiutah, how big was the turtle anyway? Was it as big (3.5 feet) as some here suggest?
I guess I need to be a bit more abbrasive to get my question answered.
The only reason you should have reported this kid was if the turtle was in poor living conditions. I highly doubt this was a full grown turtle, but if it was you were justified in call in the authorities.
From what you've explained in the thread thus far is that the turtle was being taken care of for the past 5.5 years. Its life was not in danger. It was not being mistreated. I believe you had every intention on busting this kid the first time he told you he had a turtle. Why else would you go to his house? It was obviously more than to just satisfy your curiosity.
Remind me to never invite you to my house where my wife uses marijuana to ease her pain caused by chemotherapy.
On the other hand, the dealer should go straight to the jail. If you wanted to do something productive, you should have found out who the dealer was. Phone number, address, business name, anything. If you couldn't get anything out of him at least you tried to do something. Instead you tricked this poor kid after put your conscience to bed.
- Nate

 

[skiutah]

Originally Posted by Nate_m
I guess I need to be a bit more abbrasive to get my question answered.
The only reason you should have reported this kid was if the turtle was in poor living conditions. I highly doubt this was a full grown turtle, but if it was you were justified in call in the authorities.
From what you've explained in the thread thus far is that the turtle was being taken care of for the past 5.5 years. Its life was not in danger. It was not being mistreated. I believe you had every intention on busting this kid the first time he told you he had a turtle. Why else would you go to his house? It was obviously more than to just satisfy your curiosity.
Remind me to never invite you to my house where my wife uses marijuana to ease her pain caused by chemotherapy.
On the other hand, the dealer should go straight to the jail. If you wanted to do something productive, you should have found out who the dealer was. Phone number, address, business name, anything. If you couldn't get anything out of him at least you tried to do something. Instead you tricked this poor kid after put your conscience to bed.
- Nate
You're right. My first thought, when he told me about the turtle was the living conditions and my concern for the turtle. Don't get me wrong, I was very curious. Think about this though.... The 500 gallon tank was barely big enough to support the turtle. So if the dealer was supplying turtles to people, how many people in this hobby have 500 gallons or bigger? Too many turtles out there being sold to people without the right equipment. That was the EXACT thought in my mind that made me call the wildlife people. You guys have to realize the authorities aren't going to give a damn about the kid and his father. I really pushed them to go to the kid, so they could investigate on finding the dealer. You really think they care about 1 single turtle? There concern when I talked to them was HOW MANY TURTLES?

 

[celacanthr]

I guess I need to be a bit more abbrasive to get my question answered.
The only reason you should have reported this kid was if the turtle was in poor living conditions. I highly doubt this was a full grown turtle, but if it was you were justified in call in the authorities.
From what you've explained in the thread thus far is that the turtle was being taken care of for the past 5.5 years. Its life was not in danger. It was not being mistreated. I believe you had every intention on busting this kid the first time he told you he had a turtle. Why else would you go to his house? It was obviously more than to just satisfy your curiosity.
Remind me to never invite you to my house where my wife uses marijuana to ease her pain caused by chemotherapy.
On the other hand, the dealer should go straight to the jail. If you wanted to do something productive, you should have found out who the dealer was. Phone number, address, business name, anything. If you couldn't get anything out of him at least you tried to do something. Instead you tricked this poor kid after put your conscience to bed.
- Nate

So, if I understand you correctly, you are saying that if the turtle was not full grown, then it is ok.
That is absolutely absurd, it is like you are saying that this turtle will never grow to a full size?
Well, it actually may not reach its full 2.5 or 3.5, because by the time it would have reached full size, one of three things would happen, if skiutah had not pointed this out:
a) the kid would realize he could not care for the turtle, and released it, basicly resetting the statistics back to the point of birth on the likelihood of the turtles survival, because it would become dependent
b)the kid wouldn't get to realize that he cannot care for the turtle, because the turtle died before it got full grown
c)the turtle would never get to full size, because it's growth becomes completely stunted, causing great, and excruciating pain.
Now for the people who are saying that skiutah shouldn't have told on the kid because the kid invited him to his house. The kid wasn't confiding in skiutah, he was showing of a trophy!

 

[dea bad lt]

LMAO at Puffer. You're killing me!

 

[harlequin]

You took the moral highroad Skiutah, I would have done the same thing. The genetics currently are too limited to have more than the few that are officially held in captivity not in the ocean. 500 gallons is way to small for any of the sea turtles. I guess most of you who are saying against have never had a water turtle as a pet. Water quality alone would be horrible and with turtles as susceptable to disease as they are, I cant imagine a sea turtle no less living in a private aquarium. I had a baby 3" diamondback terrapin I rescued from seagulls in my old reef tank for a night before I could get it to a rehabber I know, it made the tank a royal mess. If anything the turtle can be rehabbed given proper care. In our rescue program here in Savannah we have switched captive terrapins from prepared food to chasing down there own live food, and have a 90%+ record of success for the two years it has been going on.
But it all comes down to the fact that sea turtles are too extremely endangered, and even more so on a daily basis thanks to barbaric fishing practices in Asia and failure to put proper legislation in place here in the States and other thrid world countries like Mexico who fail to enforce laws against poaching on their own beaches. Hell illegal Mexicans here poach "protected" nests over on

[hr]
Head island. The typical tactic is to go to the marked nests in a horde and one person digs up the eggs. When enforcement arrives they block the officers and the runner gets away. I soooo wish vigilanteeism was legal, my rifle would get so much more use. Back to the point sea turtles of every species are too endangered for any one private individual to have and own in their homes or business. Every single one that can be needs to be in the water, or in an official state farming facility for the express purpose of release to the wild. That kid did not have the right to have one in his tank, depriving the population of a vital individual, and yes the numbers of sea turtles left is so bad that even indivuals are important to the species survival.

 

[skiutah]

Originally Posted by Harlequin
You took the moral highroad Skiutah, I would have done the same thing. The genetics currently are too limited to have more than the few that are officially held in captivity not in the ocean. 500 gallons is way to small for any of the sea turtles. I guess most of you who are saying against have never had a water turtle as a pet. Water quality alone would be horrible and with turtles as susceptable to disease as they are, I cant imagine a sea turtle no less living in a private aquarium. I had a baby 3" diamondback terrapin I rescued from seagulls in my old reef tank for a night before I could get it to a rehabber I know, it made the tank a royal mess. If anything the turtle can be rehabbed given proper care. In our rescue program here in Savannah we have switched captive terrapins from prepared food to chasing down there own live food, and have a 90%+ record of success for the two years it has been going on.
But it all comes down to the fact that sea turtles are too extremely endangered, and even more so on a daily basis thanks to barbaric fishing practices in Asia and failure to put proper legislation in place here in the States and other thrid world countries like Mexico who fail to enforce laws against poaching on their own beaches. Hell illegal Mexicans here poach "protected" nests over on

[hr]
Head island. The typical tactic is to go to the marked nests in a horde and one person digs up the eggs. When enforcement arrives they block the officers and the runner gets away. I soooo wish vigilanteeism was legal, my rifle would get so much more use. Back to the point sea turtles of every species are too endangered for any one private individual to have and own in their homes or business. Every single one that can be needs to be in the water, or in an official state farming facility for the express purpose of release to the wild. That kid did not have the right to have one in his tank, depriving the population of a vital individual, and yes the numbers of sea turtles left is so bad that even indivuals are important to the species survival.
Thankyou. Very well said.

 

[sunrays]

Not to question your knowledge of Sea Turtles but are you sure it was a sea turtle? I ask because there is a species of fresh water turtle that is exclusively aquatic (like sea turtles) and is readily available....and guess what??? It looks exactly like a Sea Turtle...and they are captive bred by numerous people...and grow very large...and are legal to own. It is called the "Fly River Turtle" I have attached an image for reference.... :thinking:

 

[dea bad lt]

Now that would be hilarious. I can just see the turtle cops breaking down the door, storming the house, macing the poor kid in the face, just to find a fresh water turtle. I'd pay to see that!

 

[skiutah]

Nope it wasn't. He had a bunch of chromis in the tank.

 

[sunrays]

Yeah... I could only hope that it would make it onto an episode of COPS!!!!

Teenagers being what they are (and thinking how I was back then) I wouldn't put it past them to try and pull a fast one on you......it would be soooooo easy to fool the untrained eye into believing it was a Sea Turtle......the aquarium decor could also be set-up to look like a saltwater habitat....actually a neat idea. Given the kid is rich and likes tossing gobbs of money at a 500gal tank and a Fly River Turtle.....

 

[sunrays]

Can you identify the species of turtle without hesitation? You mentioned chromis....what type? Because there are freshwater fish that resemble chromis......
Unless you can identify the turtle within a couple species I am doubtful that it even was a Sea Turtle...........Also, if you can't identify it as truly being a Sea Turtle then I think you didn't have any business turning him into the authorities......did you do your homework??? I don't care if you had to catch a plane in an hour...did you even ask him what species it was? What he feeds it? etc.....
It's a turtle folks.....no need to call the fuzz right away....you should have done a little research first if you were so determined to turn him in.......just my 2 cents....