# Spring is coming in Taiwan



## Fisherman_Brazil (Mar 29, 2009)

Spring is coming in Taiwan

















Cherry blossom ( Sakura no hana)


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## Emile.Wilson (Mar 29, 2009)

So pretty, i cant wait till some of the cherry trees here start blossoming


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## Katnapper (Mar 29, 2009)

Very pretty, Luke.  Our crocus, daffodils, and other Spring flowers are appearing now. It's always a welcome sight!  Haven't taken any pictures yet though.


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## Peter Clausen (Mar 29, 2009)

Portland, Oregon reports blooms on Daphne about 3-4 weeks ago, flowering cherry and plum blossoms beginning a week ago, crocus, daffodil and a primrose and a pansy 2 weeks ago. Purple azalea opened a few days ago.

As you pointed out, the pink trees are as welcome as the sometimes-sun. Baby leaves of many about to unfurl! A few more weeks and Portland it at its best (flowers, not weather yet).


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## Rick (Mar 29, 2009)

It is here. Everything is starting to bloom. My box turtles have come up out of hibernation.


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## Katnapper (Mar 29, 2009)

That reminds me... I really need to bring those T. sinensis and S. carolina ooths in from the garage and glue them up in containers before they decide to start waking up! I haven't been givong them much thought other than running out with the spray bottle and misting them about once every week or so.


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## Rick (Mar 29, 2009)

This plant is in my yard. We moved here last year after it had bloomed and had no idea it would be this nice. A few days after this pic the whole thing was full of flowers. The flowers all fell off within two weeks and made a huge mess.






Oh and another sign of spring! My box turtles came up from the ground after months of hibernation:


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## Fisherman_Brazil (Mar 29, 2009)

The cute little box turtles remind me a lot when I was in Washington state, way back twenty years ago, where my boss had a couple of these vreature eating earth worms like noodles, quite astonishing to me until now!


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## Rick (Mar 29, 2009)

Fisherman_Brazil said:


> The cute little box turtles remind me a lot when I was in Washington state, way back twenty years ago, where my boss had a couple of these vreature eating earth worms like noodles, quite astonishing to me until now!


They are captive bred and I have had them for about five years. They were reared indoors but do best outdoors in areas they can live in. They have lived outside for about a year now. Since they occur here in the wild they can survive just fine. Too many people have taken them from the wild and with habitat destruction they have declined in the wild. That's why I insist all herps I own are captive bred.


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## PhilinYuma (Mar 29, 2009)

"Spring is coming in Taiwan"

Spring? I think that we had that last Thursday. It's all summer here, until Christmas, maybe Boxing Day.


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## Peter Clausen (Mar 29, 2009)

That's a camelia, Rick. Had one in my yard too, growing up and yes, the mess!

Your turtle hobby and outdoor set up is really cool!


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## Katnapper (Mar 29, 2009)

Yes, Rick... you had me Googling "where do box turtles go in the winter?" Learned things I didn't know. Glad you posted about yours, and I agree, it's a very cool set-up.


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## Rick (Mar 29, 2009)

Peter said:


> That's a camelia, Rick. Had one in my yard too, growing up and yes, the mess!Your turtle hobby and outdoor set up is really cool!


Thanks Peter. We have been wondering what it is. I went out today for the third time to rake up all the leaves. I don't mind because I am just glad spring is finally here. Thanks for the comments about the turtle pen. It's very simple really but effective.

Katnapper: most keepers either don't hibernate them or they hibernate them in the fridge or a cool garage or crawl space. I took a risk and did it naturally and as you can see all is well. They don't even feel like they lost any weight.


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## Katnapper (Mar 29, 2009)

Rick said:


> Thanks Peter. We have been wondering what it is. I went out today for the third time to rake up all the leaves. I don't mind because I am just glad spring is finally here. Thanks for the comments about the turtle pen. It's very simple really but effective. Katnapper: most keepers either don't hibernate them or they hibernate them in the fridge or a cool garage or crawl space. I took a risk and did it naturally and as you can see all is well. They don't even feel like they lost any weight.


Rick, did you dig up the soil or add any loose soil before the hibernation period to help them dig down? If so, to what depth? I'm just wondering how far down they go. On one of the sites I did some reading, it said they've found them down 2 feet before. :blink: That seems like a lot of digging for a turtle... especially if the ground isn't soft or loose.


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## Rick (Mar 30, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> Rick, did you dig up the soil or add any loose soil before the hibernation period to help them dig down? If so, to what depth? I'm just wondering how far down they go. On one of the sites I did some reading, it said they've found them down 2 feet before. :blink: That seems like a lot of digging for a turtle... especially if the ground isn't soft or loose.


Yes I did. I loosened down about a foot under the overhang. I then piled in a bunch of leaves and pine needles. Then I piled pine straw over the top of everything. They maintain an airhole that goes down to where they are. I would say they were about a foot down or maybe a bit more. Since I am in the SE we have very mild winters. My female came out a few weeks ago when we had a weekend of 80 degree temps. Between then and now we had a couple nights down to freezing and she didn't even dig down for those.

We have planted our lettuce bed this past weekend. That's the box you see in the background of one of my pics. I hope to grow the lettuces that my herps eat instead of buying so much of it. I love spring and this entire week is going to be sunny and nice.


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## Katnapper (Mar 30, 2009)

Rick said:


> Yes I did. I loosened down about a foot under the overhang. I then piled in a bunch of leaves and pine needles. Then I piled pine straw over the top of everything. They maintain an airhole that goes down to where they are. I would say they were about a foot down or maybe a bit more. Since I am in the SE we have very mild winters. My female came out a few weeks ago when we had a weekend of 80 degree temps. Between then and now we had a couple nights down to freezing and she didn't even dig down for those. We have planted our lettuce bed this past weekend. That's the box you see in the background of one of my pics. I hope to grow the lettuces that my herps eat instead of buying so much of it. I love spring and this entire week is going to be sunny and nice.


Thanks... you satisfied my curiosity. Good luck with your lettuces.


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