My name is Dudley, I am a turtle obsessive. I bought my first turtle at 22 and now have 20 years experience in their husbandry. From the age of 10 (TMNT generation...) I read everything I could, bought books and scoured the library. When I got Tommy, my European pond turtle, I started learning for real. Practical knowledge is always the best, the internet helps, and the knowledge of others from forums is invaluable. I have travelled to America twice where I sought out wild turtles in their natural environment, and was lucky enough to find the elusive diamondback terrapin.
I've kept European pond turtles (emys orbicularis orbicularis) False maps (graptemys pseudographica) Yellow bellied sliders (trachemys scripta scripta) Cumberland sliders (trachemys scripta trootsii) Red eared sliders (trachemys scripta elegans) Florida red-bellied cooter (pseudemys nelsoni) Reeves turtles (mauremys reevesii) Japanese pond turtles (mauremys japonica) Carolina diamondback terrapins (malaclemys terrapin centrata) Texas diamondback terrapins (malaclemys terrapin litoralis) Western painted turtles (chrysemys picta bellii) Eastern painted turtles (chrysemys picta picta) Southern painted turtles (chrysemys picta dorsalis) Common musk (sternotherus oderatus) and a Common snapping turtle (chelydra serpentina). I have handled and supplied many other species too.
I currently have over nearly 70 individual turtles as my personal pets from 22 different species. I'm always looking to learn, and willing to impart my knowledge to help others.
Turtles are my passion and I seek to diversify the UK turtle keeping hobby as well as prevent the dumping of unwanted pets through miseducation.