Visits of Kings

A Tale from the Middle East

     The Imperial Majesty visited a small teahouse one morning. He called for an omelet. With great ceremony he was flattered and served the omelet on the crude tableware of the teahouse. The owner apologized over and over for the common cloth on the table and the simple furniture. "Not at all up to the standards of a king!" he said.

"It's fine," the king reassured him. "How much do I owe for the omelet?"

"For you, Sire, the omelet will be 1,000 pieces of gold."

"Whoa!" The king raised an eyebrow. "Eggs must be expensive around here. Is that because they are scarce?"

"It's not the eggs which are scarce around here, Your Majesty," said the shopkeeper, "It is the visits of kings!"

Cooking by Candle

A Sufi Tale from the Middle East

     Mula bet some friends he could survive a night on an icy mountain with nothing to warm him. Taking only a book and a candle for some light, he sat through the frigid night. When he came down to claim his winnings, his friends asked, "Did you take anything up there with you to keep warm?"

"No," said Mula, "just a small candle to read by."

"Aha!" they exclaimed, "Then you lose!"

     

     A week later he invited these same friends to a feast. They waited and waited for food. "Dinner's not ready," said Mula, "Come and see why!"

In the kitchen they saw a huge pot of water under which a small candle was burning. Mula said, "Does this remind you of our bet? I've been trying to heat this pot of water over this candle since yesterday and it's not warm yet!"

The Stolen Ax

This is A Taoist Tale from China by Lieh Tzux
     A woodcutter went out one morning to cut some firewood and discovered that his favorite ax was missing. He couldn't find it anywhere. Then he noticed his neighbor's son standing near the woodshed. The woodcutter thought, "Aha! That boy must have stolen my ax. I see how he lurks about the shed, shifting uneasily from foot to foot, greedy hands stuffed in his pockets, a guilty look on his face. I can't prove it, but he MUST have stolen my ax."
     A few days later the woodcutter was surprised and happy to come upon the ax under a pile of firewood. "I remember now," he said, "Just where I'd left it!"

The next time he saw his neighbor's son, the woodcutter looked intently at the boy, scrutinizing him from head to toe. How odd, he thought, somehow this boy has lost his guilty look . . .

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The Boatman

     Let's try some story that is not about turtle. This is a Sufi Story from the Middle East.
    scholar asked a boatman to row him across the river. The journey was long and slow. The scholar was bored. "Boatman," he called out, "Let's have a conversation." Suggesting a topic of special interest to himself, he asked, "Have you ever studied phonetics or grammar?"
"No," said the boatman, "I've no use for those tools."
"Too bad," said the scholar, "You've wasted half your life. It's useful to know the rules."
Later, as the rickety boat crashed into a rock in the middle of the river, the boatman turned to the scholar and said, "Pardon my humble mind that to you must seem dim, but, wise man, tell me, have you ever learned to swim?"
"No," said the scholar, "I've never learned. I've immersed myself in thinking."
"In that case," said the boatman, "you've wasted all your life. Alas, the boat is sinking."

   

The Boy and The Turtles

     Native Americans have many stories about Turtle too. Here is one I hope you enjoy! 

     A boy went on a turtle hunt, and after following the different streams for hours, finally came to the conclusion that the only place he would find any turtles would be at the little lake, where the tribe always hunted them. 
     So, leaving the stream he had been following, he cut across country to the lake. On drawing near the lake he crawled on his hands and knees in order not to be seen by the turtles, who were very watchful, as they had been hunted so much.  Peeping over the rock he saw a great many out on the shore sunning themselves, so he very cautiously undressed, so he could leap into the water and catch them before they secreted themselves. But on pulling off his shirt, one of his hands was held up so high that the turtles saw it and jumped into the lake with a great splash. 
     The boy ran to the shore, but saw only bubbles coming up from the bottom. Directly the boy saw something coming to the surface, and soon it came up into sight. It was a little man, and soon others, by the  hundreds, came up and swam about, splashing the water up into the air to a great height. So scared was the boy that he never stopped to gather up his clothes but ran home naked and fell into his grandmother's tent door. 
"What is the trouble, grandchild," cried the old woman. But the boy could not answer. 
     "Did you see anything unnatural?" He shook his head, "no." He made signs to the grandmother that his lungs were pressing so hard against his sides that he could not talk. He kept beating his side with his clenched hands. The grandmother got out her  medicine bag, made a prayer to the Great Spirit to drive out the evil spirit  that had entered her grandson's body, and after she had applied the  medicine, the prayer must have been heard and answered, as the boy commenced telling her what he had heard and seen. 
     The grandmother went to the chief's tent and told what her grandson had seen. The chief sent two brave warriors to the lake to ascertain whether it was true or not. The two warriors crept to the little hill close to the lake, and there, sure enough, the lake was swarming with little men swimming, about, splashing the water high up into the air. The warriors, too, were scared and hurried home, and in the council called on their return told what they had seen. The boy was brought to the council and given the  seat of honor , and was named "Wankan Wanyanka" (sees holy). 

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The Tortoise and the Hare

Another popular story about turtle!

 One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he could run. He was laughing at the turtle for being so slow. Much to the rabbit's surprise, the turtle challenged him to a race. The rabbit thought this was a good joke and accepted the challenge. The fox was to be the umpire of the race. As the race began, the rabbit raced way ahead of the turtle, just like everyone thought. The rabbit got to the halfway point and could not see the turtle anywhere. He was hot and tired and decided to stop and take a short nap. Even if the turtle passed him, he would be able to race to the finish line ahead of him. All this time the turtle kept walking step by step by step. He never quit no matter how hot or tired he got. He just kept going. 
     However, the rabbit slept longer than he had thought and woke up. He       could not see the turtle anywhere! He went at full-speed to the finish line but found the turtle there waiting for him.

The Flying Turtle

I would like to tell you a very popular story about turtle..
   
     Once upon a time there lived a small turtle named 'Kittu' in a lake near jungle. One day Kittu saw some birds flying in the sky. He too felt like flying with them. He expressed his desire to his mother. His mother got scared and explained Kittu that he can never fly like birds because he had no wings. He can rather swim like a fish and she asked Kittu to learn swimming. But Kittu was not satisfied with her reply and was determined to fly. 

Kittu's dream

So one day Kittu climbed up a big stone and asked a little bird who sat there whether she could help him to fly. The bird said to Kittu, " You should not try things which are out of your limits. Go back to your mother ". However Kittu didn't like her reply and waited there for some more time. Later a giant bird came there and Kittu asked her to help him to fly. The big bird tried to convince the little turtle. But finally she gave up. She agreed to help Kittu in flying.          She held him in her big claws and started flying. Kittu was very happy on reaching the sky. He felt as if he was flying on his own. So he asked the giant bird to free him. The bird said," what are you saying? If I leave your hold, you will fall down ". But Kittu started shouting at the bird to free him and let him fly on his own. Annoyed the bird opened up his grip and flew away. As a result Kittu started falling down. He screamed for help. Bur nobody was there to help him. He fell on his back and and cried due to pain. And then he remembered his mother. Kittu understood his mistake and very soon started swimming in water with his mother.

MORAL: One should not blindly imitate others.

Spotted Turtle

   

     As a captive, the spotted turtle does best in a shallow-water setup with a land area as least as large as the water. Insects, worms, tadpoles and other amphibians are favored foods, and some vegetation, including algae, may be eaten.

     Adequate space is important. One or two small, spotted turtles could properly live in at least a 55 gallon breeder size tank, but more space is always preferable. Cleanliness is essential for the health of the turtles. Enclosures should be cleaned frequently.

     Warmth--especially in the form of a basking area--is very important. Most spotted turtles enjoy basking temperatures ranging from 84 to 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temperatures between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit are fine.  Vitamin D and calcium supplements, used in conjunction with full-spectrum lighting, will give turtles a better chance at good health.

Alligator Snapping Turtle

          The alligator snapping turtle has a grotesque appearance, with its roughened mud-brown carapace, grossly oversized head, hooked jaws and roughened tail nearly the length of the carapace.
          In captivity, the alligator snapper does not require a land area if their water is of suitable depth and temperature. Room temperature water (76 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit) is suitable. The water should be shallow enough to allow the alligator snapping turtle to breath when its neck is extended. High water quality should always be maintained; care should be taken to remove chlorine and chloramine additives whenever the water is changed. The ammonia content and pH of the water should also be checked frequently.
          The diets of hatchling captives seem to center largely on fish. In the wild, adult alligator snappers are known to eat shellfish, crayfish, snails, worms, insects, fish, amphibians and even some aquatic plants. Adult captives readily eat all of these things, plus snakes and raw meat of many kinds.

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Funny and cute turtles :)

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Uh oh.

 



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..Snail+Turtle..

 

Tadaaa !

 

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Ninja Turtles !

 

Poor turle :(

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Albino Turtle

 

 

     The Albino Slider is yet another opportunity for a Breeder to illustrate the ability to remove pigmentation from a species. They are generally considered yet another color morph or hybrid is selective breeding projects. Hatchlings display a bright yellow hue. This same hue will fade to creamy shade of yellow as they mature. They will also demonstrate the common bands present on the Red Ear Slider, but instead of the more common red bands, you will instead see an orange hue, as a result of the lack of pigmentation.

     Albinism is caused by a lack of melanin pigment and albino Snapping Turtles account for only one in every 30,000. In the wild, albino turtles rarely live to adulthood as their distinct coloring makes them stand out to predators as tasty snacks. 

This is Minty, a white green turtle at Reef HQ in Townsville Australia. Minty was not an albino but leucistic -- which means that it had colour pigment cells but did not have the enzymes to activate the colour. Turtles like this do not often survive in the wild as they are an obvious target for predators, so Minty was transferred to Reef HQ just after his birth.

 

 

 

Pancake Tortoise

Scientific Name: Malacochersus tornieri
Family: Testudinidae
Adult Size: 1½ lbs.
Range: Southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.
Habitat: Rocky areas and isolated rock outcrops (kopjes).



     This tortoise is not commonly available as wild caught imports because of its restricted range and the fact that it is protected in most of its natural range. Wild caught pancake tortoises have be notoriously difficult to acclimate to captivity. Despite this it is now more commonly being bred in captivity as time goes on although it is not excessively common because of the fact they only lay only one egg at a time and even then usually only once a year.

     The pancake tortoise is an odd and unique tortoise in that its carapace is flat and relatively soft. This allows it to squeeze into the rock crevices it inhabits. In captivity it is beneficial to provide flat rocks built up to allow the tortoise to fit between them. It has been found that this is almost a necessity for their survival.
     The pancake tortoise prefers lower temperatures in the range of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They are not known to be active baskers preferring to avoid the sun by hiding in the rocks.They will feed on dark leafy greens, fibrous fruits such as apples and pears in addition to berries. The pancake tortoise will also feed on insects and carrion. A dish of clean fresh water should be provided at all times.

 

 

turtles

     Turtles are reptiles of the order Chelonii or Testudines characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield. "Turtle" may either refer to the order as a whole, or to particular Turtle which make up a form taxon that is not monophyletic.
     The order Chelonii or Testudines includes both extant (living) and extinct species. The earliest known turtles date from 220 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than lizards, snakes or crocodiles. Of the many species alive today, some are highly endangered.
     Like other reptiles, turtles are ectotherms—their internal temperature varies according to the ambient environment, commonly called cold-blooded. However, leatherback sea turtles have noticeably higher body temperature than surrounding water because of their high metabolic rate.
     Like other amniotes (reptiles, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals), they breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. The largest turtles are aquatic.

2 headed turtles

    They say two heads are better than one, but that is really just a metaphor for brainstorming. In reality, having two heads would be a pain. You’d have to always share your ice cream, you’d constantly be bumping heads, and shirts would become your worst enemy. Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head, and though it is a very rare occurrence, it is most common among reptiles, especially turtles. So, here are a bunch of pictures of two-headed turtles.

It must be hard for the two headed turtle to chose where to go.

left head: I wanna go back!

right head: no I want to go right!

 

 

One of them likes water and the other doesn't because they both have different brains. WEIRD. Dont worry, they never harm each other.

 

 

 

Aldabra Tortoise

 

Scientific Name: Geochelone gigantea or Dipsochelys elephantina
Family: Testudinidae
Adult Size: More than 500 lbs
Range: Aldabra Atoll with introduced populations on Reunion, Mauritius and Seychelles Islands among other granitic islands of the Indian Ocean.
Habitat: Groups of Aldabra tortoises inhabit mostly grasslands and areas of low shrubs but individuals will occupy almost any accessible habitat available. 
   

    The Aldabra tortoise is becoming more commonly available in the pet trade the world over, but it is still considered one of the more specialized tortoises. The Aldabra tortoise,because of its potential large size, requires a good deal of space and special consideration. Moving a tortoise that is more than 200 lbs is bad enough, but moving one that is more than 400 lbs can be problematic especially if the animal does not want to move or cannot. The Aldabra tortoise is only protected as far as trade so no special permits are required to keep and maintain these in captivity.


      Aldabra giant tortoises are adaptable and seem to be very cold tolerant, but they are still going to require supplemental heating to maintain a recommended temperature of 75 to 100 Fahrenheit. These tortoises, while being able to withstand low temperatures, do seem to prefer higher temperatures.
     The diet for the Aldabra tortoise in the wild consists mostly of weeds and grasses with occasional brows mixed in. In captivity they will eat almost anything. The suggested diet is a variety of dark leafy greens and grasses in addition a good mix of vegetables. It’s recommended to restrict the feeding of cabbages because of the propensity to develop thyroid problems among the giant tortoises due to a lack of dietary iodine. Providing as varied a diet as possible will usually alleviate any dietary deficiencies.Water should be provided at all times. Captive Aldabras consume great amounts of water if it is available.

Gingerbread man

  gingerbread man is a biscuit or cookie made of gingerbread, usually in the shape of a stylized human, commonly male as the name suggests, although making other shapes, especially seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.) and characters, is quite common as well.Most gingerbread men share the same roughly humanoid shape, with stubby feet and no fingers. Many gingerbread men have a face, though whether the features are indentations within the face itself or other candies stuck on with icing or chocolate varies from recipe to recipe. Other decorations are common; hair, shirt cuffs, and shoes are sometimes applied, but by far the most popular decoration are shirt buttons, which are traditionally represented by gum drops, icing, or raisins.
   
       There is a traditional story about gingerbread man:

   Once upon a time, an old woman and her husband lived alone in a little old house. The couple had no children, and being lonely, the woman decided to make a boy of gingerbread. She carefully mixed the batter, rolled out the dough, and cut out out a very nice gingerbread man. She added sugar icing for his hair, mouth, and clothes, and she used candy chips for buttons and eyes. What a fine looking gingerbread man he was! The old woman put him in the oven to bake. After he was fully done, she slowly opened the oven door.  Up jumped the gingerbread man, and he ran out the door saying,

"Run, run, as fast as you can!

You can't catch me!

I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

    The old woman and the old man ran after him, but they could not catch him.And so the Gingerbread Man ran and ran. While he running, he met a cow. "Moo," said the cow. "You look very fine! Fine enough to eat!" And the cow started to chase to little man.But the Gingerbread Man ran faster, saying,

"I ran away from an old woman,
I ran away from an old man,
And I can run away from you!
I can!"
And he laughed,

"Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me!
I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

     The cow ran after the Gingerbread Man, but she could not catch him. The Gingerbread Man kept running, and soon he met a horse. "Neigh," said the horse, "You look mighty tasty. I think that I would like to eat you." "But you can't!" said the Gingerbread Man.

"I ran away from an old woman,
I ran away from an old man,
I ran away from a cow,
And I can run away from you!
I can!"
And so he ran singing,

"Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me!
I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

    The horse ran after the Gingerbread Man, but he could not catch him. The Gingerbread Man ran and ran, laughing and singing. While he ran, he met a chicken. "Cackle, cackle," said the chicken, "You look fine enough to peck for dinner. I'm going to eat you, Mr. Gingerbread Man."But the Gingerbread Man just laughed.

"I ran away from an old woman,
I ran away from an old man,
I ran away from a cow,
I ran away from a horse,
And I can run away from you!
I can!"
And so he ran singing,

"Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me!
I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

    The chicken ran after the Gingerbread Man, but she could not catch him.The Gingerbread Man was proud that he could run so fast. "Nobody can catch me," he thought. So he kept on running until he met a fox.He just had to tell the fox how he ran faster than all the others."Mr. Fox," he said, "As tasty as I appear to be,I cannot let you catch and eat me.

I ran away from an old woman,
I ran away from an old man,
I ran away from a cow,
I ran away from a horse,
I ran away from a chicken,
And I can run away from you!
I can!"

      But Mr. Fox did not seem to care."Why would I want to bother you?" asked Mr. Fox. "You don't even look that tasty. No, young man, I don't want to eat you at all."The Gingerbread Man was so relieved. "Well, indeed, Mr. Fox," said the Gingerbread Man. "If you don't mind, I think I'll take a little rest here." And the Gingerbread Man stopped running and stood still.And right when he stood still. Snap! went Mr. Fox's jaws right into the Gingerbread Man until he was gone.

"He was very tasty after all," thought the fox.