Oh how they've grown!

It's only been about a year since we got our pet turtles, Zoomy and Swifty, but boy they've had a good time of it. Eli and I get them out on the back lawn as often as we can for walks and it is then that we notice just how big the turtles have gotten. Here's a photo of Eli holding Zoomy (his favourite for the reasons outlined below) on one recent excursion. He might not look big, but given that he was just the size of a 50 cent piece a year ago, he has certainly grown (I'm talking about Zoomy not Eli, but he has certainly grown too).



As I mentioned above, Eli really likes Zoomy. I think that is because the turtles have stayed true to their original personalities. Zoomy (who is now much bigger than Swifty) is still a very active explorer of the backyard and, as an added bonus, an active consumer of the grasshoppers we catch for him. Swifty, on the other hand, seems not to like the taste of grasshopper very much, and when we take him outside for a walk, he tends to just find a shady spot and stays put. I think the photo below of Zoomy and Swifty shows the differences in their personalities quite well...Zoomy is stretching out on the left and Swifty is all tucked in on the right.

Eli and I have to stay pretty vigilant when the turtles are outside, because not only are we afraid of kookaburras, crows and butcherbirds that might be on the lookout for an easy lunch, but we also need to keep picking up Zoomy and return him to the grass before he leaves our yard completely. Here's a video of Zoomy speeding around the backyard and through the hose that we sometimes put on for them.