# R.I.P. Derby



## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

I know he isn't a fish...but I felt it necessary to put this here. 

For you all who didn't know Derby, he was by Box Turtle that I saved from a lawn mower 6 years ago when I lived in Florida. 
He would follow me around my apartment. I'd take him on "walks" outside in the front yard. He enjoyed eating fresh caught worms after it rained. He was a happy little turtle. 

Last night me and my boyfriend found him upside-down under his heat lamp. His shell was scalding hot, and he couldn't have been there more than an hour. 
I tried to cool him down under cold water, but after 10 min. he was still unresponsive. 
We buried him under the tree outside my bedroom window, which blooms gorgeous cherry blossoms in the spring. 
Rip little turtle. You will be missed.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

I'm so sorry, Nat. RIP, Derby. =(


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks Eda. *hugs* 
He was very special to me. :<


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

RIP Derby
As a box turtle owner I know how great these little guys can be  Im sorry for your loss


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks LB :'< 
They do have great personalities don't they?


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

They really do, my gal is a rescue, Im not a big fan of reptiles (or amphibians) but the charcter and personalty surprised me and made me fall head over heels, I've helped out with box turtles fo a while now (many with wild ones) and I have lost one, a young male who had been hit by a car,even though I has been expecting him not to make it, it was stll a hard blow


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Awww, I'm sorry LB  
It's hard to loose them.  It's very kind of you to help out!


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

I know 
and try, wild box turtles are not easy, there are a lot of rules and regulations where I live that prohibit removal so I pretty much have to work around it


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

True. Boxes are among the hardest to take care of.


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Only in the fact they get sick easy (had get vitamin deficiencies easy) I know there are no local vets who do box turtles, so everything I know in box careand treatment has eithe been gleamed off of the internet or from trial and error :/

Tortioses are even harder, but there are a lot more vets who treat them


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Ah, very true there. But I'm glad that's what the internet is for.  
When I found Derby, I had no idea what he ate! lol. And I didn't find out until later that he actually ate a lot of protein. ;A; 
I let him roam around in my yard, supervised of course, and he found a worm on his own and started nomming. ;___; 
I miss the little guy.


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Lol, it took me forever to get my gal interested in anything living, my best guess is she was captive bred, my only knowledge of her is from her previous owner who had not fed her for 3-5 months (she couldnt remember) and prior she had been fed only freezer burned mixed veggies :/


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

O___O WHAT. 
That's so terrible! D: The poor thing! I'm glad she's in much better hands with you!


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

I know 
She was/is my first experiance with box turtles (or really even reptiles in general, lol), but when I saw her squished in a 5 gallon fish tank with just some dirty newspaper in a cold room (windows and blinds closed so no light) I knew I had to take her home
She's turned into a fiesty gal who loves to soak in water and loves worms (no crickets or meal worms, lol) and anything yellow


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Daaaawwwww. ~ How cute! ^__^ That poor dear. :< 

Derby would bite me on occasion, thinking that my fingers or toes were worms. MAN did that hurt! haha. xD


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Lol, Monty trys to bite me all of the time  shes a moody lady (my BF says all girls are  )
I've been lucky not to have been bitten yet, but m pitbull has been bit a few time, lol, dumby


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Awww oh no, poor puppy!!
Hahaha, there's some truth in what your BF says. Mine says it too! xDD


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Lol, you think she would learn  she's used to being nipped at though (ancient rescue pomeranian who snaps at everthing)
lol, all guys say all girls are the same.... but all guys are the same XD lol


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Hahaha! Aw poor puppy! I've always wanted a Pom!~ 
It's so true! xD Boys are quite similar in thinking. xDDD


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Lol, she's rescued from Second Chance Pomeranians (in Texas), she more or less ended up in my lap (long story, Im more of a big dog person, lol)
Lol, similar in thinking? Lol more like exactly the same


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

xD 

Awww I need to find a good shelter that has Poms. ;__; I love them!~ Just wanna burry my face into their fur. lol. 
They DO think the same. D:


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Lol, Second Chace is a good rescue (kind of far away, but I have family in the area and my Grandmother fosters/volnteers for them), but you would be surprised at the number of pomeranians (and Chihuahuas) who end up in high kill shelers
:/

Lol, seriously, its funny... but sad :/ lmao


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## peaches3221 (Jun 1, 2010)

I'm so sorry about your turtle  my dad found a box turtle in the road that almost got ran over. we released him though.


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

LB- Yeah it's sad how many dogs are out there just wandering the streets. :< *sniff* 

Peaches- Thanks  It's always best to release wild animals. ^^


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