Comments on: Bernard http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2006/11/30/bernard/ Life in Honolulu: it's not all pineapples and mai tais. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:19:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Judy http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2006/11/30/bernard/#comment-1955 Judy Sat, 02 Dec 2006 09:33:49 +0000 http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2006/11/30/bernard/#comment-1955 Apparently box turtles and the like are on the Department of Ag's list of "restricted" species. I spoke to someone in the department a few years ago and their reasoning was that box turtles and tortoises who escape captivity are not likely (we hope) to upset the ecosystem. Red eared sliders and other aquatics, on the other hand, are a menace to stream systems. They can get pretty darn big too! And you're right -- Bernard is a cutie! He has a lot of personality too. When I clean out his enclosure he follows my feet around, sits on my slippers and occasionally will carefully, and quite thoroughly, smell my toes. Apparently box turtles and the like are on the Department of Ag’s list of “restricted” species. I spoke to someone in the department a few years ago and their reasoning was that box turtles and tortoises who escape captivity are not likely (we hope) to upset the ecosystem. Red eared sliders and other aquatics, on the other hand, are a menace to stream systems. They can get pretty darn big too!

And you’re right — Bernard is a cutie! He has a lot of personality too. When I clean out his enclosure he follows my feet around, sits on my slippers and occasionally will carefully, and quite thoroughly, smell my toes.

]]> By: Christopher C in Hawaii http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2006/11/30/bernard/#comment-1953 Christopher C in Hawaii Sat, 02 Dec 2006 08:22:06 +0000 http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2006/11/30/bernard/#comment-1953 My first thought was doesn't the state frown on foreign species like that, but who cares, it is so cute. I bet if the yard is properly enclosed and the right plants are planted for them to eat they could be a no maintenance pet with a very long and happy life roaming wild and free in your garden. Perhaps you could build them a tortoise meditation maze with your Stack of Disorganized Useless Rocks. And now I know the right way to spell Tortoise. My first thought was doesn’t the state frown on foreign species like that, but who cares, it is so cute. I bet if the yard is properly enclosed and the right plants are planted for them to eat they could be a no maintenance pet with a very long and happy life roaming wild and free in your garden.

Perhaps you could build them a tortoise meditation maze with your Stack of Disorganized Useless Rocks.

And now I know the right way to spell Tortoise.

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