Running around and around
Today, I made the tactical error of forgetting my wallet. Which was a pain in the ass, because I needed to go to Schenectady to get my prescription at the pharmacy as well as pick up my Cymbalta samples from the doctor's office. I had to run home to get the wallet, so I dropped Toby off while I was there.
...wait...
Who's Toby?
Meet Toby, a diamondback terrapin. She appears to be the Mississippi subspecies because of her dark shell and skin. She's very personable, and she's about the same size as Fig, who finds her to be quite tolerable. She's not a spaz like the boys and juveniles are; she has a very calm demeanor and is quite well-adapted to people.
She was brought here from NYC by a lovely person who wanted Toby to have a good life. Toby spent her youth as a little boy's pet, and she was not kept in the proper conditions, so her shell has some deformities. Her last caretaker made sure she went to the vet and got on the right track. She probably saved Toby's life by doing that.
One of the reasons I think Toby will make a good education animal (besides her fantastic temperament) is that she is an example of what happens when turtles don't get a good start on life. Her shell deformities are very easy to see. I've educated a lot of people about why turtles are a huge expense and responsibility to have as a pet, but often they don't believe it until they see it.
Right now, she's staying at our home as Fig's roommate until I feel comfortable letting her live in the HR exhibit. I'm not quite sure what the boys will do when they see her!
...wait...
Who's Toby?
Meet Toby, a diamondback terrapin. She appears to be the Mississippi subspecies because of her dark shell and skin. She's very personable, and she's about the same size as Fig, who finds her to be quite tolerable. She's not a spaz like the boys and juveniles are; she has a very calm demeanor and is quite well-adapted to people.
She was brought here from NYC by a lovely person who wanted Toby to have a good life. Toby spent her youth as a little boy's pet, and she was not kept in the proper conditions, so her shell has some deformities. Her last caretaker made sure she went to the vet and got on the right track. She probably saved Toby's life by doing that.
One of the reasons I think Toby will make a good education animal (besides her fantastic temperament) is that she is an example of what happens when turtles don't get a good start on life. Her shell deformities are very easy to see. I've educated a lot of people about why turtles are a huge expense and responsibility to have as a pet, but often they don't believe it until they see it.
Right now, she's staying at our home as Fig's roommate until I feel comfortable letting her live in the HR exhibit. I'm not quite sure what the boys will do when they see her!