The December 2007 newsletter contains the following topics:

1. Buying turtles as gifts by Julie at The Turtle Rescue of Long Island
2. 10% off Coupon
3. Featured Products
4. Gift Certificates
5. New Items
6. Temperature Gun Special
7. Web Hosting

Buying turtles as gifts by Julie at The Turtle Rescue of Long Island

It’s that time of year when many are looking to buy pets for gifts. I’d like to give a little insight and hopefully some useful info for those deciding that a turtle or tortoise is the right choice for that gift.

First and foremost a pet turtle of any kind is a lifetime commitment! It will most likely, with proper care, outlive the recipient, regardless of the age of that person. Estimates are that a turtle will live anywhere
from 50 to 150 or more years, so if you are planning on this for a gift, be sure that the person really, really wants one and is committed to providing it with a lifetime of care.

When choosing what kind of turtle consider the environment, the space that may be allotted for an outdoor habitat as well as inside space. Be sure that a proper enclosure for the species in question can and will be provided. Take into account proper substrate and lighting as well as dietary considerations. If giving a gift be sure to also give a proper care sheet to go along with it.

If the person lives in a cold climate try to resist the urge to get a large Sulcata or other huge species. These tortoises grow to be over 100 pounds and cannot be kept in a tank, or even a tortoise table. They need a room, a heated shed or a garage for winter months. So many end up being turned into rescues because people think they can handle them, but once they reach that ‘uncute’ size of 18”+ and start pooping like a horse they quickly realize it is not the kind of pet that can be kept in the house easily. Even those that live in the south need winter shelters for these larger torts.

A good tortoise to consider is something like a Russian tortoise. Best thing to do is to buy a captive bred (CB) tortoise so health issues are minimal and you are not supporting the wild caught (WC) trade. There are other smaller torts too, but the Russian tortoise is one of the most common and fairly easy to maintain. A great care sheet can be found at www.russiantortoise.net where all kinds of info on habitat and diet can be found. If that’s the tort of choice, print up the care sheet and give it along with the tortoise.

Featured Products :

Kritter Keeper Large

Ventilated enclosure constructed of durable, easy to clean plastic makes a comfortable home for a variety of fish, small animals, reptiles, or amphibians.  Self-locking lid with removable carrying handle securely snaps onto base, assuring your pet stays inside. Lid features hinged viewer/feeding window and airline tubing access hole. Footed base.  Also great for starter homes, nurseries, insect havens, or quarantine tanks.

Dimensions: 14.5" W X 8.75" D X 9.75" H

Price: $9.95

ReptoMin Sticks

A long-standing favorite among breeders and pet turtle enthusiasts alike, ReptoMin® is a floating food stick for all water turtles, amphibians and other aquatic reptiles. High in nutritional value and manufactured to strict quality standards, ReptoMin® products have proven to be readily accepted by dozens of species. Vitamin and calcium enriched, ReptoMin® is a protein-rich, scientifically formulated food.

Price: $6.99 for 3.7 oz containers, but also available in 10.59 oz.

ReptoTreat® Gammarus .35 OZ

For Aquatic Turtles, Newts and Frogs

ReptoTreat Gammarus is a 100% natural, sun-dried shrimp that is high protein. It is an excellent supplement to a staple diet of ReptoMin.

Price: $2.49

Aspen Bedding 8 quart

The preferred snake bedding by professional herpetoculturists worldwide. Provides a safe, hypoallergenic, naturalistic substrate that allows snakes, lizards, and small animals to form burrows and nests as they would in the wild.

• 191% absorbency
• Odorless
• Easy to clean
• 99.9% dust free
• No toxic oils
• Made from renewable resources

                                                     Price: $6.45
                                                     

Cactus Fruit 1lb despined

These are organic prickly pear fruit. Each pear has been despined. (though there may still be a few glochids) They are a great nutrition packed treat. These are available in a limited quantity.

These cactus fruit are now in season.

Price: $4.95

Gift Certificates

Gift certificates are now available!  E-mail us for more information at: carolinapetsupply@earthlink.net.

   
     5 lb Hay (also available in 1lb bags)

Hay Storage
Storing hay properly will prevent the formation of molds. This is especially important for our 3rd cut timothy as it has a higher moisture content than our other hays. You MUST remove the plastic in order to provide airflow. Choose a dry location with adequate air circulation. Closets and closed sheds with poor air circulation will not allow the hay to dry sufficiently. Failure to store the hay properly may promote the growth of mold.

This hay that we supply is the best hay we have ever seen, and is far superior to Oxbow hay.

Bluegrass Orchard Hay

Made from the finest, sun cured orchard grass with no preservatives or colorants added. Orchard Grass Hay is an excellent source of fiber for your pet.

The beautiful hay we carry called "bluegrass" is actually a hybrid seed a farmer has developed. It is an orchard/bluegrass seed. For those of you that are used to orchard grass, this will be similar except it has a beautiful blue/green color and is much softer.Nutritionally, it is equivalent to orchard grass.

Price: $12.95

Western Timothy Hay

Made from the finest, sun cured timothy hay with no preservatives or colorants added. Western Timothy Hay Western Timothy Hay is an excellent source of fiber for your pet.

This is 3rd Cut Timothy Hay --

It is cut in late September or early October, and is literally the best selling hay I've ever offered.

It has nearly no stem, is wide and leafy. It is a soft and pliable hay that you can literally wind around your fingers like the bluegrass. It normally has a bit of brown leaf to it, but that never seems to matter to the critters! It is loved by tortoises, guinea pigs, chins, rabbits and degus. It is a nice green color and will have very few, if any, seedheads.

I've been told by many, many customers that their animals won't eat hay, only to find that they love this cutting and is the only one they will eat! I have found that to be true with one of my own tortoises as well. If you have a hard time getting your pet to eat hay, try this cutting.

Price: $4.95

Temp Gun Special

Get the pre-order special price of $22.50, save 10%!
(allow up to 3 weeks for delivery)

The Pro Exotics PE-1 Infrared Temp Gun is a great basic unit. It is our most affordable Temp Gun, yet it maintains the same great accuracy and durability of our more expensive units. With a range of -27F to +428F (easily switchable to -33C to +220C) and MAX/MIN/LOCK modes, the PE-1 will meet the needs of 95% of users, professionals and hobbyists alike. The PE-1 unit comes preset with a default emissivity setting of 95E. Whether shooting engine temperatures, food prep temperatures, or animal basking temperatures, the PE-1 is a terrific and reliable Temp Gun at an amazingly affordable price! (includes wrist strap).                                            

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