Name: Kotaro Fuma (from Onimusha 2 game) General Name: Red-Eared Sliders Favorite Food: Raw meat, fish, flies, worms Hobby: Swim around, digging under the rocks, and eat. I got this little guy on Sunday, 7-26-03. It's been awhile since I had my last pet turtle (in 1995, I had two baby sliders just like this one, except they are even smaller, I had them for about a month, cause I had to leave China during that time so I never did raise them up so I just release them). Now I got another chance at Kotaro. I will keep this page updated to let you know how Kotaro is doing.
	7-12-2004 It's almost a year now since I had Kotaro! From the look of it, he doesn't seem to have grown a bit. Look, he is trying to be Spiderman!
	4-25-2004 Sping is here! My allergy is getting worst... but Kotaro sure is happier to see Spring now that he can go outside.
	11-22-2003 It's been almost a month since Kotaro has stop eating! I don't know what's going on with him, he has no illness. He still swims up and down, very active. Most the time he got his eyes close like he is in hibernation. But if I go closer and then he opens his eyes and looks at you. I try giving his favorite food but he just stares at it like he doesn't know what it is. Being the idiot I am sometimes, I didn't know that Turtles don't eat when the water is COLD! Since I don't have any heating for the water, the water is like below 70F. So I added some warm water and let him swim for a few minutes and try feeding him. He immediately jumps at the food! Poor Kotaro, I think I have starve you to death almost...
	10-23-2003 Just last week, I have notice there are some green spots on his shells. And I thought it was some kind of moss that's growing on his shell for staying in the water. But just today I was changing the water and I pick him up, I scrach his shell and those green spots comes off, a brand new layer of his shell was under those green spots. So Kotaro is shedding his shell! I can't believe it, Kotaro is growing!
	9-22-2003 To get more exact measurments, I use a string to measure Kotaro's shell and it comes outs to be 7.5 cm. I use centi-meters so to get more percises. The reason I use the string was that I have yet to see him grow any bigger so next time I measure him, this string better be shorter than his shell.
	9-03-2003 It's been more than a month now, Kotaro still seems to doing fine. He loves to swim up and down in his little container. I don't have a tank for him yet. If I have a tank, it will be harder to clean and harder to keep it clean. With the little container, he still got enough room to swim and I can take it outside where he can bathe under the sun, and then bring him back when it's night time. With a tank, he can only stay in one place, but I will need it once he is bigger. But for now, this little container will do.
	8-18-03 I was very worry this last few days because Kotaro suddently didn't want to eat anything. Usually if I put my figure next to him where he sees it, he will come chasing and trying to bite it. But after my little sister's friend played with him (they pick him up and trying to fed him but ofcourse Kotaro was too scared to even eat), Kotaro has been very alarmed every time he sees something coming his way. But after a few day in his container and with no one to bother, he finally come to trust my fingers once again and started to eat.
	8-12-03 Today I measure him again, but I don't see much difference in his growth. I would really like to know his exact age, but I am guessing from his size, he is about 5 months - 1 year old. Kotaro likes to eat raw meat, they can be shrimp, turkey, pork, and fish. As young age turtles, they tend to be more of bit meat eater. I once feed a lettuce to him, and he took one bite of it and spit it out! I think I spoil him with too much meat. I feed him once a day with raw meat that's about a thumb size. Fish is the most nutritious food for a turtle, it has calcium. Pork has more fat so best not fed that most often. As for raw chicken, there is salmonella in the chicken, but cooked is ok. Earthworms, nightcrawlers and any other kind of worms in your backyard the turtle will eat too. Flies, once a fly got into the water and Kotaro just gulp it up like nothing.
	8-02-03 Well today, I finally got around to measure him, his shell long measures to about 2.8 inches. With his neck and tail extended, he measures to about 4.5 inches. I took him outside the yard and let him walk around, and he crawl everywhere. There was a time I thought I lost him when I couldn't see him. I was changing the water for him, so I just let him stay under a box, there was big holes on the sides. After I finish changing the water, I pick up the box and saw he was not there and I look all around and still couldn't find him. After a few second of panic I finally find him hidding next to a bucket. Phew, what a relieve...
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