Gonzo’s Story
I found Gonzo in late September of 2009 alone and frozen on the side of our road just days after he hatched. He was near death, so I brought him inside and put him on a heating pad. Somehow that evolved into this Turtle Taj Mahal that he now enjoys. Despite the skepticism of my friends and family, I do plan to release him once he is old enough to transition to the wild.
Tank setup
During the day you’ll see the red glow of Gonzo’s special infrared heat lamp above his much-loved, green-striped, underwater turtle ramp. He needs that light source to stimulate his appetite and keep him healthy. Being cold blooded, he likes to sit under the light for warmth, so he may set up camp there for hours. Along with his ramp he also loves to sit on the underwater rock you see at the top of the image. At the right is his floating hollow log. If you don’t see him in the webcam, he may be swimming inside the log. Look carefully at the ends and sides of the hollow log because you’ll often see Gonzo extending his neck from inside. At the bottom corner of the image is his new driftwood. Snappers like to stay under water but be close enough to the surface to grab a quick breath. So all of the elements in his tank are positioned with that in mind.
Water filtration
The original filter we had inside his tank has been replaced by a bigger, badder external filtration system. Turtles are extremely messy creatures and as Gonzo has grown dramatically in size, so has his level of messiness. The new water filter has a three-stage cleaning process designed specifically for turtle habitats. At the bottom of the tank, just outside the view of the webcam, is a long spray bar that sprays the filtered water back into his tank and also helps increase the humidity level for Gonzo.
Feeding
Gonzo has an automated feeder that slowly drops food in his tank from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Central time. The food falls in the upper part of the image between his rock and end of his log. He’s conditioned to wait for it during that timeframe, and you may see him in that spot looking up and waiting. We also feed Gonzo by hand several times a day, so you might catch a glimpse of an arm dangling inside the tank. He likes worms, cod, brine shrimp, stray ladybugs, and commercial hatchling food. If you see him staring at the top corner of his tank that means he’s looking at the door to his room hoping someone comes in to feed him.
Webcam schedule
Gonzo’s webcam automatically turns on at 7:00 a.m. Central time and stays on until 10:40 p.m. When the webcam is off you'll see an image that says Gonzo is fast asleep.
Additional Gonzo resources
Gonzo is a social media junkie. You can find him on:
Join his Facebook fan page to keep up with Gonzo’s daily activities and to see a wide array of Gonzo photos and video. And if you've always wanted a Gonzo t-shirt, mug, or bumper sticker, Gonzo is way ahead of you — he has his own store.