Box turtles, like the large shell-less beings, come in all different colors, shapes and sizes. Some box turtles are quite sizable – even stout. Other box turtles are smaller and more streamlined. And some box turtles have three toes on their back legs – these are called (not surprisingly) “three-toed box turtles.” Every so often,Continue reading “Day 129: Box Turtle Is Fern-licious”
Category Archives: Bruce the Box Turtle
Day 126: Box Turtle Behind Bars
The large shell-less being here…. As the ratio of concrete to grasslands and forests continues to shift, more and more wild beings are getting displaced into urban areas. This is exactly how Bruce and I met. He was wandering about, getting menaced by dogs and nearly run over by cars, when he was rescued toContinue reading “Day 126: Box Turtle Behind Bars”
Day 123: Box Turtle Loves to Swim
During their younger years, many large shell-less beings undergo a traditional rite of passage called “swim team.” This grueling ritual involves donning a set of distressingly scanty garments, jumping into an icy-cold water body and swimming back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until one of two things occurs: the end-of-practice whistle blowsContinue reading “Day 123: Box Turtle Loves to Swim”
Day 120: Box Turtle Brunch
Brunch traditions can look quite different depending on your species orientation. For example, let’s say you are a large featherless being. When you go out to brunch, you probably enjoy sitting in chairs, eating off china plates with shiny silver forks and knives, drinking your mimosas out of fluted glasses and your coffee out ofContinue reading “Day 120: Box Turtle Brunch”
Day 117: Just Another Green Leaf
Becoming an expert at camouflage takes time. This is true even if you were born with a knack for it that you inherited from basically every other 3 toed box turtle who has ever lived. All things considered, some of your disguise ideas will just work out better than others. So it can be aContinue reading “Day 117: Just Another Green Leaf”
Day 114: The Wonderful Woodpile
There are pros and cons to living the life of a pet box turtle. In your former wild life, you were free to come and go and do as you pleased. Of course, this also meant predators were free to try to eat you for dinner (or breakfast or lunch or mid-afternoon snack) as theyContinue reading “Day 114: The Wonderful Woodpile”
Day 111: Box Turtle Body Language
Life in an interspecies flock is going to present some challenges. For instance, there is communication. How do you communicate with one another to let your flock members know, for example, that not everything you want to share needs to be shrieked out at full volume? Or that you would like to come OUT ofContinue reading “Day 111: Box Turtle Body Language”
Day 108: Scoping Salmon
As a shelled being with a keen gustatory appreciation, it is important to strike just the right ambience before you dine. For example, you can enjoy your meal a lot more if you stop first to verify there are no slavering predators hovering about around the periphery. Also, it is easier to relax and enjoyContinue reading “Day 108: Scoping Salmon”
Day 105: That Boy Can Climb!
Every being is born with different talents. Some beings might be great at swimming. Other beings might be awesome at flying. Still others might do best when they sit very still. And there are some (shelled) beings that are truly amazing at….climbing.
Day 102: Hunting the Wild Earthworm
After a long day of climbing, swimming, basking, digging and burrowing, a box turtle can work up quite an appetite! And while your typical catered dinner is reliably delicious and always well-timed, there is no substitute for the thrill of the hunt. Plus, this is the best way to guarantee your prey will be super-freshContinue reading “Day 102: Hunting the Wild Earthworm”
Day 99: Digging Is Good for the Soul
Even though you have a super-secure hinged safe sitting right on top of your legs, a smart and survival-savvy 3 toed box turtle always likes to have a Plan B in his back pocket. So to speak. You can definitely climb, but that is not always the right response in every situation. You’re a fair-to-middlingContinue reading “Day 99: Digging Is Good for the Soul”
Day 93: What Has Red Eyes and Is Not Albino?
If you are born with fur or hair (like, say, your large shell-less mama) and you have red or pinkish tinted eyes, you might be an albino. In fact, even if you were born with a shell and your eyes are red or reddish, you might be an albino. Albino beings look the way theyContinue reading “Day 93: What Has Red Eyes and Is Not Albino?”
Day 90: Scutes. Scoots.
Smart. Sensitive. Sociable (at least with lady box turtles and anything you want to eat). Flexible. Multi-talented. Strong. Speedy. Great climber. Good swimmer. Five-star hibernator. These are just some of the many awesome things about being a 3-toed box turtle. But one of the coolest is your scutes (pronounced “scoots”). The scutes are located onContinue reading “Day 90: Scutes. Scoots.”
Day 87: Survivor, Box Turtle Edition
The 3-toed box turtle is a very unique species even among chelonians (that is what the large shell-less beings call individuals who look like you). Not only do you have (count ’em) three toes on each of your adorable back legs, but you also have a fancy-schmancy hinged box you can use as your personalContinue reading “Day 87: Survivor, Box Turtle Edition”
Day 84: A Very Surprised Box Turtle
Being born with a home on your back is pretty brilliant. When your home is also a totally secure hinged box you can duck into at any time, you can pretty much move to the top of the food chain. But when you can also climb anything climbable (and some things that aren’t), well, that’sContinue reading “Day 84: A Very Surprised Box Turtle”
Day 81: We Love Bruce!
The large shell-less being here…. Bruce joined our little flock during a very tumultuous time. Malti had spontaneously taken off on what was to be a six-day wilderness adventure – announcing her plans to no one, least of all her overprotective, anxiety-prone, first-time tortoise mama. After six days of nonstop searching, literally beating bushes, crawlingContinue reading “Day 81: We Love Bruce!”
Day 78: Turtle Versus Tortoise
When you are born with a shell on your back, making sure your large shell-less assistant knows precisely which species you are can be pretty important. Unfortunately, your taxonomony (what the shell-less beings call your rank, file and serial number, aka your classification) doesn’t exactly make this easy. Technically, all shelled beings are “turtles.” YetContinue reading “Day 78: Turtle Versus Tortoise”
Day 75: Marvelous Meaty Mealworms
Dinnertime in an interspecies flock can sure get interesting. There is your small loud feathery brother, who seems intent on repopulating the forest floor with his evening rice….not to mention anything else flingable he can purloin from his mommy’s dinner plate. Then there is your round and robust shelled sister who is always hungry andContinue reading “Day 75: Marvelous Meaty Mealworms”