Bucky's Big Adventure

[dreamshark]

Richard changes the water in the turtle tank about once a week. Since the tank is outside, he puts Bucky down in the grass for a little land exercise. Usually she just wanders around aimlessly, but this time she decided to go someplace. It only takes a few minutes to wash out the tank and refill it, but in that short time she managed to either scale or circumvent the huge compost heap by the sandpile and scoot through the bushes into the neighbor's parking pad where she took refuge under their car. Richard had a heck of a time finding her, and and even harder time trying to catch her. I think most people don't realize just how fast turtles can move.

Comments

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

SPEEDY! So funny I just sent Nico a t-shirt with a turtle on it and it says SPEEDY!

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to visualize how one would go about turtle-proofing a back yard.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

A solid fence all the way around would do it. Turtles can't climb very far, and they don't tunnel either. Not water turtles, anyway. But they will clamber over steep hills and any barrier that they can reach to the top of by standing on their hind legs. They're not only SPEEDY, they are extremely strong. And determined. If they can get a hold on it with their claws you never know WHAT they might climb.

Here's a link to an amazing video of a snapping turtle climbing over a cyclone fence! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbhMtbTFSDs

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

Amazing! That's some video clip! I wouldn't have thought a turtle could do that.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Wow. I had hopes that snapper was going to turn around and back down the fence. Maybe that was his plan. That flip off the top looked like it had to have hurt.

K.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty hard to hurt a snapping turtle. If you dropped one out of an airplane it would probably just shake it's head a few times and lumber away.

Painted turtles, of course, are far more tender.