Ming
Ming was a beautiful male Chinsee Box Turtle.
I bought him at a reptile bazaar. He lived with me for 8 years. He was one of the animals that died from unknown causes when something "went through" my turtle collection several years ago. Of all my turtles he was the most personable, and the one I was attached to the most. I felt (still feel) like I'd lost a child. Ming was a wild-caught turtle and when I first got him, there was no information on how to keep this species. Over the course of the first year I found out by trial and error that he needed lots of heat, moisture, and places to burrow. At first, he only ate banana--eventually his food preferences expanded to "everything fruity" plus worms, bugs, and fingers, too. When he was indoors, he would follow me around and sit expectantly in front of the refrigerator. When I worked, he would sit at my feet and pretend they were females worthy of courtship. When my first child was swining in the baby swing, he would sit underneath the swing and his head would move in synchronization with the swing. I have other Chinese Box turtles now, but Ming has always been and will always be very special to me.
If I had a fairy wish, I would ask for him back.
