Friday, November 10, 2006

Turtle Soup

There are times during your day, when you catch yourself wondering yet again, "How are FC's baby turtles doing?"

Here's a Chelonia Catch Up on the little rascals. For previous posts about their shelled shenanigans, go here, here, and here.

I can report that they are all doing fine although we do have one on a walkabout. There were eleven turtlings when we started and you may recall that one stayed in St. Augustine, at my Mom's garden pond. That turtle grew faster than all the others. I think my Mom spoiled him with good food and lots of attention. Just recently with the onset of cooler weather, he has gone awol, but we are hoping he is just hunkered down for the winter.















So, that leaves 10, but I gave two to another science teacher who has an inordinate fondness for anything turtle. They live in his classroom and are doing great.

That brings us to my 8 turtles, who are doing just fine. They live in a large shallow Rubbermaid plastic storage box and spend the days outside sunning atop the picnic table. At night I carry them in to the kitchen where they can avoid raccoons (usually) and other nocturnal predators.














They have grown although it may not be so obvious in the photos. They dine on Reptomin turtle food, lettuce, and various yard weeds.














I thought I would have ended my head start program for them by now, but we got attached, so we kept them a little longer, then there was hurricane season (they could wash out to sea), a drought (they need water), a meteor shower (their shells aren't meteor proof, what if ...? ) , bird flu (well, they're related ), ...

It seemed a little premature to throw them out amongst all that, so we allowed them to stay past their intended release back into the wild. Now it's winter, not the best time to be a turtle, even here in Florida.

So it looks like a spring release.

Of course, spring is forest fire season and it is kind of close to hurricane season ...


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22 comments:

Deb said...

Way cute!

And face it, sounds like you'll probably still be tending those turtles when you're 90 years old...they do live fairly long, don't they? :)

R.Powers said...

Deb,
THEY might live that long, but ...

R.Powers said...

roger,
and mock apple pie ... what's up with that?

robin andrea said...

They are so cute. I thought they'd be long gone on their own by now. So, what are their names?

Karen Schmautz said...

I'm very suspicious of anyone who would put those cute little turtles in a soup bowl next to a very nice place setting and then actually spoon up one of those turtles. I think you would have a great career in Gitmo.

Have you ever had turtle soup? Do you have a recipe at the ready?

Karen Schmautz said...

PS. You should have entered your "Mocking the turtles soup" photo in the Food and Wine Photo Contest...I bet you would have won.

LauraHinNJ said...

They are very handsome. I see why you're attached to them.

R.Powers said...

Robin,
One, the runt, has been named 'Squirtle" by Mrs. FC. She identified with the underdog as soon as he hatched.

Hick,
As prisoner or guard? ;)

I have eaten seaturtle steak and seaturtle eggs (when it was legal). I have eaten gopher tortoise (when it was legal) and I have eaten this very species of turtle (still is legal).
When I say "eaten", I mean tasted. None of the above was my cup of tea and so they remain one time experiences.

I don't like gator either.


Laurahinnj,
I agree. Their camo pattern is beautiful. It'll fade to brown as they mature, but for now they are quite the paisley print.

Anonymous said...

I think maybe you just need to find homes for the other 8 with friends and family, the way you have with the first three - that way you'll never have to let them go, and you can give us updates/pictures from here until infinity. Plus, you know, then you can stop worrying about what 'season' it is ;)

They are SO CUTE, though! Thanks for the update.

Rurality said...

I'm with Hick on this one. So, do they taste kind of like a turtle smells? Ick.

Anonymous said...

HA! The little darlin's.

Good job, FC!

Anonymous said...

Amazing...not the turtles, they are wonderful too...but the soup bowl idea.

Ericka said...

sooo pretty... if you decide to find homes for them, i'll take one! i'm currently turtle free, and it sucks.

Ericka said...

sooo pretty... if you decide to find homes for them, i'll take one! i'm currently turtle free, and it sucks.

Anonymous said...

they are cute! i wonder if other dedicated classrooms might adopt some?

my kids' elementary school had a long-time classroom pet, shelly the turtle [tortoise? she was a land-dweller, but only about 5x8"]. shelly was the love of many classes, and was continuing her career as recently as last year, when my little nephew helped care for her -- that makes about 13 years from the time i met her.

R.Powers said...

Mrs S ... aka ZOE'S MOM,
I really need to let them go into the wild where they belong. I think I'll settle for keeping two and releasing the others.
How's that new baby?

Rurality,
Fishy chicken.
That goes for gator too.

Wayne,
You know that's a line from 101 Dalmations?

ThreeCollie,
Thanks, that's my Chinese food bowl, see the chopstick notches?

Ericka,
Turtle free? How ever do you cope? They are kind of neat to have around.

Kathy A,
That's a neat story. Just think, that tortoise could be educating your grandchildren in that very classroom with their long lives.

Anonymous said...

Nice pictures. You'll have to make your pond so enticing that they will never want to leave home.

Juli said...

Ok FC... that photo shoot is flat out funny! And yes, I can understand why you've kept them around... they're quite lovely!

Anonymous said...

FC - as a long-time fan of 101 Dalmations, I'm ashamed to say I didn't recollect that. But then I was always more drawn to Cruella DeVille and her evil motorcar.

And of course - "We are Siamese if you please. We are Siamese if you don't please."

R.Powers said...

Debbie,
Uhm, that would take water wouldn't it? I'm down to a 10' X 10' shallow puddle. I agree with the concept tho :)

Juli,
Glad you got a chuckle. They really do have beautiful markings.

Wayne,
As I recall, at one point the pups have a narrow escape and wind up in a barn and very hungry. The cows agree to nurse them, one cow gets a little teat nip, and makes that comment.
As I recall ...

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

You're just a big softie and I'm glad that you're keeping them until at least spring. They're still so small and would make a good meal for a snake too...

Do you think they'll know how to hunt for their own food when you release them? How about making a large wire cage (for their protection) and setting it in your pond so that they can learn to hunt their own food and you can check on them and feed them if necessary...just until you see that they are thriving, of course.

Unknown said...

We have so many other ingredients for soup these days. I say ban turtle soup!! MM