Tonight I saw two youngish girls carrying tiny hatchling red eared slider turtles in plastic containers on the subway. I can't blame anybody for wanting to buy a little hatchling turtle. They are absolutely adorable. Barely bigger than a quarter, big eyes, vibrant green color, that endearing clumsiness of something newborn combined with the clunkiness of being a turtle. They are admittedly hard to resist. The thing is I know those turtles are going to outlive those girls' interest in them. I'd put money on it. Turtles live a long time, and they don't stay that cute. I mean, I think they do but I"ve been a nut about reptiles and amphibians since I was a little kid. I predict they'll be up for adoption on craigslist within 2 years. When I hit the lottery and build my dream house, it's going to have a big indoor turtle pond. I'll adopt all the cast-off turtles on craigslist and Animal Planet can come and make a show about me. Anybody interested in further turtle nerd reading should check out this article from the New York Times archives. Fascinating stuff, especially the discussions of turtles longevity.
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