Friday, May 13, 2011

My buddy, Timothy the Turtle



Look who came to visit yesterday!  My new friend, Timothy, is an Eastern Box Turtle.  He was trying to cross the street when someone in my family rescued him and brought him to visit for a day.  I asked him several questions while he was here:

  • Are you a “land turtle” or a “water turtle”?  Timothy said he is a land turtle – you can tell because the top of his shell has a round shape.  (Water turtles tend to have “flatter” shaped shells).
  • What types of food do Box Turtles like?  Box turtles are omnivores (that means they can eat many different types of food, including meat and vegetation).  Favorite foods of Box Turtles are insects, fruit, berries and vegetables.
  • How old are you?  Box Turtles grow slowly, but are considered adult when they are between 7 and ten years old and 5 or 6 inches in length.  I am not sure exactly how old I am, but I am definitely grown up size.  Box Turtles can live to be over 40 years old!

Timothy and I had a great chat and after a few hours, it was time for him to go back to the wild.  Someone in my family walked him down to the edge of the woods so he can hide and be safe.