Ninja Turtles

The first of the nine creatures came out of pity. Living in a sunny Myrtle Beach, South Carolina sounds like bliss, but not when you’re a captive Red-Eared Slider. Surrounded by over 50 of their closest relatives, the 2 tiny terrapins lived in a 10-gallon aquarium in a beach supply store. The human Jess couldn’t stand the sight, but the best she could do was to save the pair from their horrid living conditions. Most of the other turtles Jess knew were named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. She went with that theme, but with a twist. The pair was named after two of the villains in the Ninja Turtles cast: Bebop, a human/warthog, and Rocksteady, a human/rhinoceros.

^ Baby Bebop ^

The duo traveled via small, plastic tank from their origin in South Carolina, to the then home of the human in Duncansville, PA. At this point, they were the size of silver dollars. They were outfitted with a 10-gallon glass aquarium (all to themselves!), filter, basking rock, and heat lamp.

^ Baby Rocksteady ^

A few years later, the humans moved to Winchester, VA. The turtles tagged along, remaining in their 70-gallon home. They continued to grow, Bebop faster than Rocksteady. It was apparent that Rocksteady was a male, and Bebop was a female. It was at this new location that Bebop tried to make her escape, perhaps because she was becoming territorial, and this tank was becoming too small for the two of them.

Bebop climbed up the basking ramp, pushed aside the screen on top, and made her way precariously onto one of the corners of the tank. She paused there for a break, balancing haphazardly on the thin edge. She was just about to continue her journey, when "Jess" returned home from work. The human gasped at the sight of the slider sitting outside of the tank, and cautiously made her way over, careful not to scare the balancing escape artist. It was nearly 3 feet to the ground from where the turtle sat, an injury was sure to happen if she were to fall!With one swift motion, Bebop was back in the tank, safe and sound.

These well-traveled turtles would soon move to their fourth home, and fourth state! Many humans never live in so many places. In their new home on Hoofprint Drive, they were moved from the 70-gallon tank to a huge pond! An indoor pond, lined with river rocks and live plants. Oh how they loved their new home! They devoured the plants in a matter of minutes, and discovered their new, larger basking site. It was so wonderful that Bebop decided that it was HERS! She began to snap at her roommate, chase him around the pond until there were deep, bleeding gashes in his shell. Rocksteady began spending all his time on the basking site, the only place he would not be attacked.

^ Bebop ^

The humans became concerned for his health, so they set up the 70-gallon aquarium once more. Rocksteady was moved to this location so he could live in peace.

The Red-Eared sliders cause the least trouble of the bunch, although the felines, especially Johnny Cakes, enjoy watching them and occasionally getting a little too close for comfort.