Whilst golfing Saturday, my dad* noticed something scurrying around in the grass, just a few yards way from a lawnmower.
He bent down, picked it up and found...
... a baby turtle.
And when I say baby, I mean baby.
After doing a ton of research, we figured out it is a Western Painted Turtle. We now know what he likes to eat (earthworms, bits of dandelion and romaine lettuce, grapes, insect larvae, etc.), what conditions he likes (plenty of water to swim in, with lots of hiding places and a nice flat rock to dry out on) and a firm understanding in the family that if he's not happy, then he will be released into his natural habitat.
Tuckie the Turtle Lord would like you get out of his grill already.
* Just so no one gets all high and mighty: Tuckie was caught at a golf course in Missouri; from two hours of research on laws in Missouri, I can confidently say there are no laws prohibiting the capture of Western Painted Turtles in that state. Booyah.
Monday, May 07, 2007
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30 comments:
He's adorable! I'm so jealous. He reminds me of the baby Red-Eared Sliders I had as a child.
he's so tiny! and cute!
How sweet! I have a friend that has a turtle (Cecil) and while they're not the most "exciting" pets, they're usually loved so much...plus, without the shedding, they're certainly more endearing aren't they?
that is amazingly tiny! your dad has great eyes!
you should name him 'squirt' like on nemo.
My son is dying to have a turtle. We had one in our backyard a few years ago and almost kept it until our neighbor (a vet) told us it was some sort of a snapping turtle, and while it would be fine while it was a baby, when it got older it would bite us. We walked it out into the forest behind our house and released it.
Have fun with yours!
He's adorable! I want one! then again I'm not an animal person. Nevermind.
I know this is weird, but baby turtles carry salmonella. I think that's it...so just be careful. What a cutie though...I love turtles.
He's so cute! I think a turtle may be a perfect pet. No fur to make you sneeze/itch, not much poop to clean up, no noises, pretty low maintenance!
that is one cute baby- good thing he's not an outlaw!
Ah, Tuckie! So cute! And itty bitty! Who needs a dog when you've got an itty bitty turtle?
Oh he's GREAT! Turtles are lots of fun. We used to put ours int he shower while we cleaned the tank - if you turn the water on they try to bite it! Just be sure you wash your hands after you play with him, you don't want salmonella (not so fun).
heather s
I love him. I could just eat him up. Okay, not literally.
Oh my freaking tiny turtle!!!! That is the itty-est bitty-est turtle I have ever seen!!!!! Do they get very big? I can see it now: This just in KS family of 4 eaten by 2 ton turtle found on golf course, news at 11.
That is the cutest little turtle I have ever seen. :) So tiny! I hope he is happy so you get to keep him!
and they love meat. Like ham. And they'll grow in proportion to their environment, so lots of meat and a big 'puddle' and they'll grow bigger than a vegetarian turtle in a tea cup.
That's what happened to ours. Seriously.
That's the cutest and coolest pet I've ever seen! His belly is beautiful!
That little turtle is sooooooo cute! (I never thought I would type those words in one sentence in my life.)
How on earth did you father see it in the grass? Does he have bionic eyes??
oh he is so teeny tiny cute! I can't believe he could see that!
well, he didn't see the turtle per se, he saw something scurrying around in the grass really fast; he figured it wasn't a snake so he picked it up.
genius, i know.
Just to reconfirm: a lot of meat and a big pond :-)
It's the little things (locker room humor and baby turtles) that really do it for me...
I wonder if I could bribe Z into potty training with a little turtle. Let me know how hard it is to care for him.
Love his little belly! What a fun addition to your family. How big will he get?
OK - for starters, your dad has the best vision ever. 'Cause that lil guy? He's wee bitty.
And he is the cutest thing ever, ever, ever. Look at his smallness! Look at that gaudy undercarriage! I am completely smitten.
(And I know that you know this, but make sure that everyone washes their hands like crazy. Salmonella, you know... Better to be safe (and overscrubbed) than sorry.)
He's so cute and teeny.
Pictures of little tiny cute baby animals seem to be turning up everywhere I look which is annoying because then I make all these squeaky "oohs" and "aaaahs" which completely undermines my reputation for being a grumpy bastard.
Jesus, that turtle is so damn cute!
EEEEEEEK. SOOOO COOOOOOOTTT!!!! EEEEKKKK. HE'S SO LITTLE!!!! HE WOULD EVEN FIT INSIDE A TEACUP!!!! (Comment from Bea)
Oh my goodness!! He is so cute & tiny!
i've got a boy over here who MUST see the baby turtle. soon.
you know what to do.
ahem.
xxxxx
I so want a baby turtle.
He is tooooooooo small and cute, i can hardly stand it.
Oh Man this guy is cute cute cute...I want one...
Suzie Sews
Awwwww.........I want a turtle!!!
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