Some more 70's nostalgia talk ......

[Mikey]

Sorry no links because I quite frankly have no idea what these were called as a brand name.......

Back in the 70's ......

Anyone remember having those little mini LIVE turtles (as seen in Rocky) ?
They came with a little plastic aquarium ...
A short while after they were sold they said they harbour diseases and were taken off the market pretty fast.
I had about three of them but they died after only a few weeks.


Also .....

Remember those plants you buy as seeds ?
You grow them in clear jelly so you can watch the roots sprout.
They came with a short clear plastic container with a lid -- so you can watch them grow.

[JPkempo]

Baby Turtles and Children: A Dangerous Combination | The Humane Society of the United States
During the 1970s it became something of a fad to buy baby turtles—usually red-eared sliders—about the size of a silver dollar, along with a small water bowl and plastic palm tree. Many people contracted reptile-associated salmonellosis through direct and indirect contact with these baby turtles. Children were prone to placing the turtles in their mouths or ingesting bacteria left on their hands after handling the turtles.

You got me on the plant

[HardyGirl]

We had those turtles in Kindergarten and the kids used to take turns taking them home, but I never did.

I remember seeing advertised on TV the Nature's Window plants. They grew in these little clear plastic discs w/ cones on top so you could watch them grow and then you could transplant them.

Is that what you mean?

[toys2cool]

lol! they still sell those baby turtles at my local flea market

[jwyblejr]

Never had a turtle, had a frog. Won a frog jumping contest with my frog.

[Mikey]

I remember seeing advertised on TV the Nature's Window plants. They grew in these little clear plastic discs w/ cones on top so you could watch them grow and then you could transplant them.

That sounds exactly like them
The containers were little discs.

[thunderbolt]

I breed turtles in my backyard. Little kids should never have them as pets, they require a specific diet and good environmental conditions. If they are captive bred and never exposed to raw meats or live food, the salmonella won't be an issue.

[monkey tennis]

Terrapins
Well Rocky found it exciting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J12qO...eature=related
youtube video terrapins

[The Bat]

I'm remember the little Turtles...but what really sticks in My Mind from Childhood was...My local Petshop sold Baby Aligators! I guess it was legal back Then??

[thunderbolt]

^^ might have been Caimans, too. The baby alligator fad started up in the 50's, even had a Beaver episode dedicated to them.

[cjefferys]

Yep, I had a baby turtle, complete with the plastic bowl with the "island" and "palm tree" when I was around five years old (bought at a local department store pet section). Of course, it died after a month or two (poor thing), and when I asked my mother if I could get a replacement, she told me the story about stores not being able to sell them anymore. But my fascination with reptiles probably started there. When I was older, I had lizards, snakes, turtles, etc. and this time they were properly housed and cared for (although my mother didn't exactly love me having a "zoo" in my bedroom, especially the snakes )

I never saw the seeds, but I do remember buying "Mexican jumping beans" at a department store checkout. Two of them came in a little clear plastic container. You could hear them all hopping around on the display shelf, it probably drove the cashiers nuts! The ones I bought stopped jumping after a week or so. :(