I would like to thank Liz Palika for her time she spent corresponding with me for this e-mail interview. Liz is the author of Turtles and Tortoises for Dummies. She wrote one of the most successful pet books on turtles only a few years ago with her book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Turtles and Tortoises
and her new book promises to surpass the first. Liz is a pleasure to talk too, she is friendly and cares about animals. What's not to like? Here is the contents of our series of emails to create this e-mail interview.
As for what to talk about - let's see. I got into reptiles when I brought home a racer (snake) and my mom locked me out of the house until my dad got home. She does not like snakes! Today I am actively breeding leopard geckos (hi yellow, tangerine, leucistic and blizzards); Madagascar ground geckos (reds, stripes and marbles), Gulf Coast box turtles (3rd captive bred generation last year); and leopard tortoises. I also have a trio of tokay geckos we're hoping to breed.
We also have two green iguanas - both rescues - one 14 years old. We have a baby 3rd generation CB rhino iguana. Several snakes and three bearded dragons. Oh, yeah, three pyxie frogs and several Argentine horned frogs. Whew!
[Tyler M.]
I believe I read that you have a reptile rescue in your last book, The complete idiots guide to turtles and tortoises. How long have you been doing that?
[Liz Palika]
We've been doing reptile rescue for over twenty years and have a variety of stories to tell about that, too, if you want to head that direction.
[Tyler M.]
How did you get started with rescue work?
[Liz Palika]
My husband and I adopted a CDT [California Desert Tortoise] and fell in love with him. We had no idea how appealing tortoises could be. He was rapidly followed by a female CDT and we had those two for many years until both died of old age. We then began working with CDTs and another rescue group, however, we ran into problems because we have dogs. One of the policies of that group was that no turtles or tortoises would be given to a home with dogs and no exceptions would be made. When people weren't even willing to come see my house and yard, my set ups for tortoises and the safety I provided for them, I was angry. After all, my other profession is dog trainer! None of my dogs have ever bothered a tortoise except to find one when it's lost! (nice trick I teach all my dogs!) So I began doing rescue work in my area by myself and eventually a few other people joined me.
[Tyler M.]
What is one of your more memorable turtle or tortoise rescues?
[Liz Palika]
Oh, lots! I got a call by a realtor who said an empty house she was handling had a turtle in the back yard. I went out and there was a very, very large sulcata with a tunnel extending far under the foundation of the house and a Gulf Coast box turtle sharing the tunnel. I found a home for the sulcata but kept the Gulf Coast because she was so very, very old. I figured I would give her comfortable home until she passed away. Now, almost twenty years later, she is still here and I have three generations of her offspring! The last few years her eggs have become more and more infertile however this spring she had one fertile egg (that baby is thriving) but I think he may be one of her last offspring.
We got a call in August a couple of years ago that a turtle was in a roadside ditch in eastern San Diego county which is desert. Afraid an aquatic turtle would die in the heat, we went out to pick it up even though I'm not set up for aquatics. We found a very angry, very large (16 inches SVL) female soft shelled turtle. She had set up housekeeping in a polluted roadside ditch. Probably the only water for miles around. Placing her was tough; she was huge and very unfriendly.
[Tyler M.]
How did you end up writing pet books?
[Liz Palika]
In college I knew I wanted to write; however I had a writing instructor who shot me down - telling me to forget it - I wasn't a writer. My feelings were hurt badly and I tried to give up my dreams. But, things have a way of working out and if anything, his discouragement made me try harder.
I began writing for magazines in 1985 and have worked steadily as a writer since then. This year I began my first fiction book. We'll see how that goes.
[Tyler M.]
How many have you written?
[Liz Palika]
I quit counting at 30. I think - off the top of my head - that Turtles and Tortoises for Dummies is either 34 or 35.
I quit counting magazine articles and columns at 1000. I was most proud when I was published in the Saturday Evening Post and Newsweek.
[Tyler M.]
How many about reptiles?
[Liz Palika]
Let's see - The Consumer's Guide to Feeding Reptiles; The Complete Idiot's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians; The Complete Idiot's Guide to Turtles and Tortoises; Turtles and Tortoises for Dummies; Your Iguana's Life; Your Bearded Dragon's Life; and Leopard Tortoises with RC Paull.
A complete list of my books can be seen at www.lizpalika.com. Autographed copies can be ordered from me.
[Tyler M.]
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Turtles and Tortoises is considered by most people to be the best pet owner guide to turtles that ever hit the market. I believe it was an incredibly successful turtle book in both sales and distribution. Many turtle sites continue to recommend it as a top guide. Therefore a question immediately came to mind when I heard about your recently released book, Turtles & Tortoises for Dummies. Is this a different book or is this just the second edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Turtles and Tortoises with a new title? What's different? Has much changed in the life of turtles since that book was written? ( if this is a touchy question because of Idiot's Guide and Dummies please let me know and I will ask a different question. You may change the question if you like.)
[Liz Palika]
No, this is a very good question and one that I have already answered on several message groups.
Publishing is a complex industry; like many large corporations today. Shortly after The Complete Idiot's Guide to Turtles & Tortoises was published, the publishing company that put out the pet Idiot's Guides was bought by the company that publishes the Dummies books.
Because the turtle Idiot's Guide was so successful, they asked me to update it before re-releasing it or sending it to print again. About 50 pages of new text was added. I added more detail to the species' descriptions and most importantly, updated the information re: breeding. I contacted a number of breeders and therefore the information re: courtship, incubation temps and times and so forth is more up to date.
As to your question, yes it is basically the same book. However it is a revised, larger and more up to date book.
[Tyler M.]
Is there enough changes to the book that you would recommend it to someone who already owns the older book?
[Liz Palika]
There were 100 manuscript pages added; I think that's a lot of new information. Plus information was changed - especially in the individual species section - info about where found, identification and most importantly to many pet owners - updated breeding info. I think the new version would be a good addition to a chelonian keeper's library even if they have the old book.
[Tyler M.]
What's your favorite part of this book?
[Liz Palika]
So many parts are favorites. Probably the section on reproduction since that is an area I am working hard on with my turtles and tortoises.
[Tyler M.]
What turtle do you recommend most commonly as a pet?
[Liz Palika]
There is no one species that is right for everyone. When people contact my rescue group for a turtle or tortoise and they cannot tell me what species; I tell them to go do some research first. When they can tell me they can care for two or three specific species. then I will put them on a waiting list for those species.
[Tyler M.]
What piece of advice do you wish you would have know when you first started keeping turtles?
[Liz Palika]
I wish I had known more about tortoise nutrition. When I got my first two CA desert tortoises, very little was known (a lot was guessed but little was KNOWN) and kitchen veggies were the recommended foods. I had plenty of yard where they could have grazed but fed them kitchen veggies instead. However, as I did more research (including nutritional research for my pet food nutrition books) I learned more and provided them with a better diet - which of course included more grazing.
[Tyler M.]
What is your favorite kind of turtle?
[Liz Palika]
I have two favorites - leopard tortoises and Gulf Coast box turtles.
[Tyler M.]
Are you a turtle book addict?
[Liz Palika]
Oh yes!! Actually I am a reptile book addict! I have shelves of them - some wonderful, some good, some awful - but I keep them all.
[Tyler M.]
When you get a new book on turtles, what do you look for?
[Liz Palika]
I usually open it and read it from cover to cover. I often put a post it note on specific sections or pages that I feel might deserve additional attention and then when I have finished the book, I will go back to those sections and re-read them.
[Tyler M.]
If you could recommend 5 books to turtle enthusiasts which 5 would they be?
[Liz Palika]
-
Turtles & Tortoises for Dummies, of course.
-
Keeping and Breeding Tortoises in Captivity by Andrew Highfield
-
A practical Guide for Feeding Captive Reptiles by Fredric Frye
-
Understanding Reptile Parasites by Roger Klingenberg
-
and for a different perspective: A World of Turtles; A Literary Celebration
[Tyler M.]
That's an impressive collection of books. I would agree those are amongst the best of the best.
Since I know you keep Russian tortoises, May I ask you some questions about them?
[Liz Palika]
Sure.
[Tyler M.]
I am wondering if you breed them and if so do you have a tip or two about their care, housing or breeding? Perhaps you found a food they don't like? <smile>
[Liz Palika]
Yes, my colony breeds every year. I keep mine outside all year round - which I am lucky to do here in southern CA. They estivate in the heat of the summer and hibernate each winter. However the times and duration depends upon the weather and I allow them to 'do their own thing'. I do not 'make' them estivate or hibernate. I simply supply a dog house and a big pile of compost and cutting and they almost always choose to burrow into the pile of cuttings to hibernate.
I don't think I have ever found a food that Russians don't like! They seem to prefer fleshy veggies and fruits - zucchini, tomato, squash, pumpkin but I also feed greens and they have access to grazing. I also feed rose blossoms and hibiscus blossoms. Russians are probably one of the easiest species to feed besides sulcatas!
[Tyler M.]
I am slowly leading up to my last my big question are you ready?
[Liz Palika]
Sure, go for it!
[Tyler M.]
What are you favorite places on the Internet for turtle references? This could be web sites, mailing lists, etc.
[Liz Palika]
Well here, of course! Unfortunately I don't have the time to explore as much as I would like to so don't have any other favorites. When doing research, I usually search for specific things. I rarely have time to browse and explore.
[Tyler M.]
Thank you, Do you participate in any online turtle communities or actively visit any turtle sites.
[Liz Palika]
Very rarely.
[Tyler M.]
Did you include more Internet references in your new book?
[Liz Palika]
A few.
[Tyler M.]
Here it is, the big question, is TurtleTimes.com in your book?
[Liz Palika]
No, unfortunately I had not 'found' TurtlesTimes when I was revising the book. (Sorry!!!)
[Tyler M.]
Don't you hate being wrong? In regards to the question about whether TurtleTimes.com in your book? I just received your book (thank you!) after sending the last email and noticed that we are in the section about acquiring turtles through the Internet (Page 51)... So I guess we are in the book after all. Thanks.
[Liz Palika]
Ah ha! I must have slipped it in during editing! In this case I'm happy to be wrong! Keep in mind revising that book was three books ago! I have revised one other and written two new books! That's how slow the publishing business is!
[Tyler M.]
Liz, thank you for all of your time. I look forward to finishing and reviewing your book. It has been a pleasure corresponding with you. I am sure the readers here at Turtle Times will appreciate hearing from you as much as I did.
