Sep 6, 2012

A Day in the Life of the Baby Turtle My Mom Found

My mom found a baby turtle in the backyard a couple days ago. It was hiding under a garbage can, I think she said. So, like anyone in my animal-loving family would do, she set out to save her.

I was at work when I got a text that said "Look who I found" with this picture:

The tiny turtle minutes after being found. Just hanging out on a Tupperware lid.
Cute little thing, huh? They don't have a lake right behind their house, so however this brave turtle got there, it was quite a little trip!

A few minutes later, she texted me this picture...

Upgrade! Now the turtle has some mulch and some greens -- and the other side of the Tupperware!
At this point I asked if she was going to keep her or maybe take her to school with her as a class pet (my mom is a preschool teacher). She answered "Salmonella!" and I guess that meant she can't because the kids might get sick.

I have no idea why, but that inspired me to name the turtle E. coli, and that stuck. I was texting a friend at the time and he suggested that E. coli would probably like some more water. I relayed the message, and a few minutes later...

Even better! She upgraded from mulch to a rock and now has more water to play in.
E. coli, as you'll note, is also a gourmet turtle. She is not eating regular leaves... she is eating arugula!

E. coli decided to take a little dip in her new digs.
Silly turtle, we see you hiding under your arugula!
E. coli had a sleepover at their house, I guess, and the next morning she was in for a very exciting day. She was going to my mom's school after all -- but only for a day so the kids could see her. They were allowed to look, but not touch.

My mom said they just stared at E. coli for more than 15 minutes! 
And after E. coli's big 24 hours, it was time to go to a place where she can grow up like she's supposed to and get big and strong -- the lake by my parent's house! This is a video of my mom letting her go. (Can you see where I get my squeaky talking-to-animals voice from?)


I hope E. coli had a good time with my mom. I know I had a good time getting all the updates, and it was all so cute that I just had to share with you all!

Wasn't this ridiculously adorable? Why not subscribe to Your Daily Cute by email? Don't miss a Cute!

22 comments:

  1. DUDE! If I didn't know that was your mom talking to E. coli, I would swear that was you, Dorian!!! heeheeheehee I love E. coli and I love your mom for rescuing her!!!

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  2. I hope E Coli does well and thrives! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! :-)

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  3. return the turtle where you found it. it has a right to live the life it was meant to live. shame on you for taking it out of its home.

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  4. The little turtle wouldn't have survived where it was, Pat. There was no water for her. She had probably wandered from the lake (not too far from their home, but not close for her either!). I hope you watched the video and read to the end... She did return her! :)

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  5. "Salmonella"
    E Coli is a crappy name for a turtle.

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  6. I have the same squeaky voice too. Very cute. I wonder if it was someone's pet and they let it loose? Happy swimming lil one.

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  7. I think that was a pet turtle and meant to stay a pet where you had it .. scared that letting it go is the death sentence for it, birds will have him in no time.

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  8. Hey Cindy. They think that the way it got in my parents' backyard was actually a bird! There is really on other way she could have gotten there. They think a bird probably picked it up and dropped it while it was flying. He wouldn't have survived in the backyard with no water at all to swim in, so this was the turtle's best bet. There are many other turtles like her in that lake (big ones), so chances are one of them had babies and that's how she came to be. But you're right -- the first turtle in that lake was probably a pet that got too big and someone released... and now there are a bunch of them.

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  9. People do that with turtles sometimes when they get to big for the tanks. They forget that pets grow. It's sad. That's probably how turtles like E. coli ended up in that lake in the first place -- there are many of them, and some are big! Probably one of the big ones had babies, and that's how she came to be. My parents and other people they've talked to think that a bird probably picked her up and dropped her by accident in their backyard while flying. So chances are, this little thing was almost a meal and got lucky! :)

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  10. Thank you. Made the fix!

    Also, I see what you did there... ;)

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  11. I kind of wish there's been two of them so you could call them Sam and Ella. Get it?!?

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  12. Awwwww! How sweet it that! What an adventure for E coli! He is now telling all his friends what a nice day he had.

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  13. Whoa! That turtle made some serious tracks!

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  14. What a tiny wee turtle. I hope it survives to grow really big and strong enough to fend for itself in a short time. Yes, they do need water.

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  15. For all of you who do not live in S. Florida by the Everglades...I have lived here for 22 years. Those turtles are native to our area and they are found in all of our lakes. My husband and I have towels in our cars to pick them up because we often rescue them. They get large and slimy. The birds do pick up the babies. We even have Everglades birds here with the long necks. The other thought is that the mothers travel from the lake and lay eggs in peoples yards. I have friends who have had them hatch in their yards. He had to go back to his home, the lake. When they are kept as pets their shells get soft and they die. If you have not seen them just take a drive on Alligator Alley across the state. You will see them there along with their gator friends.

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  16. Forgot to tell you guys that I wrote the previous post and I am the one who found the turtle.

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  17. How did I miss this???! Dang, E. Coli is soooo cute! I would have been sad to see him leave. :(

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  18. I dunno, but it was so fun getting updates all day from her about him!

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  19. I agree, & were _I_ ever to name a pet after a DISEASE, why not make it Salmonella, then call her Sal, or better, Ella?

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