Pet Friends

Twila and Tilly
in Memoriam

Twila and Tilly are female baby Eastern Painted Turtles with distinct coloring and personalities if you look closely. Tilly is slightly more outgoing and bigger than Twila, and Twila is shyer with lighter orange markings on her shell. Most of the time, the turtles can be found sleeping on a partially submerged log or a warm floating basking dock. Basking is when the turtles get their warmth from a light above the basking area which mimics the sun’s warmth like in the wild. A different UVB light is also in the tank to provide vitamins to help the turtles grow. This light is above their log. 

The turtles love swimming around and exploring their tank. Their favorite thing to do is blast themselves off the current that is produced by the tank’s filter. They paddle against the current, stop and spread out their arms and legs, and let themselves get swept underwater, to the opposite side of the tank. I try to hold Tilly and Twila everyday, so they get used to being around me. I pick them up by gently holding the bottom and top of their shells between my fingers. I never hold their heads or tails. Then I place my turtles on my lap and read my book! Sometimes they crawl around, but they are normally pretty calm and just fall asleep. I like when they fall asleep because it lets me know they feel comfortable around me and feel good about the environment they are in around me. ~Daisy