Biological Urges- I Just Can’t Stop Her

I just can’t stop her. Sex is on the brain, biology is kicking in. She is aloof, and giving me the cold shoulder just because …. well you know why. I tried to lovingly feed her strawberries, she turned her head and slowly went in the other direction, with something grandeur on her mind.

It is the rain. It aids in giving her that wonder lust.

I’m speaking of course of Tilly. When was it that she wandered off last year? Tilly is the Red Eared Slider ( RES) pond turtle, and my pond companion. I have a strong attachment to her. It broke my heart to see her walk down the side of the house today, and try to push herself between the brick and the wooden gate. Legs just kept going. Of course she could not get out.

Does she not remember last year when she was missing for days and the neighbor found her wedged sideways in her fence. I think she was trying to get back to the pond. Of course that is how she wandered on our property years ago, and found the pond. It is crazy that the lust inside is stronger than what she has here.

I blocked the other holes on the other side of the house between the gate and the dirt. This afternoon I checked, and yes, I tracked a turtle. I was really quite surprised at my ability to do this. And I did so while trying to balance on anything I could to keep from sinking my pristine sneakers into the mud. I could see her shell track, a scrape along the mud and those sharp nails digging in the dirt. She turned a few times at the gate, unable to get through. I worried she might have gotten out, but then…

I did find her, back in the pond and begged her not to leave. My husband wonders if she has eggs, and is driven to have them fertilized? I might try to mulch the area around the pond, just in case, give her something to dig in that is nearby.

She has had babies. Two clutches. I know you are wondering, “how did she do that with no male around?” Apparently according to my research, which I do quite often on these turtles. A can hold sperm up to 3 years one website said 5 years. The first clutch of babies were adorable tiny and bright green. We have to be careful as not to step on them when going back and forth from studio to the house. None of those babies lived. I would suppose they were prey to other things. I fear it is that nasty bullfrog that lives in the pond. I hear him at night, I have seen him several times. I swear he is wearing a leather jacket and has brass knuckles. He is a bully. he too has reproduced and there are baby bullfrogs in the pond. Anyone want a bullfrog tadpole?

One baby actually drowned. It was a dreadful thing fetching it from the water. Who knew turtles could down, but they can.

The only baby that survived is little guy or Toto . Named because I love to say, “Good morning Tilly and Toto too.” He now knows I bring food and swims hard to get to me when I am there. I scream “Dive, dive, it is faster.” As he franticly tries to push past all of the floating plants.
It is comforting to have him there. Actually, I am not sure if it is a “him,” it may be a “her,” I’ll let you know, it is still too early to tell. You can detect male from female by the claws and the tail, and of course by turning them over, but as some of you know who have read my Tilly Tales, I absolutely refuse to invade their privacy by flipping them over. It just is not right!

So Tilly will remain aloof. Pulled by her biological urges. I hope I don’t post that she is missing. I worry so. It is stupid to be attached to a turtle, but as I said we have bonded. She is a pet, but not really she lived probably 6-7 years before finding us, and our pond. Sure we feed her, it is hard not to. Yesterday I found her on the deck outside of the door. She was looking in, so opened the french doors. I have seen her wander right in the house, but this time she looked the other way. Again being strange.

I swore I heard her say last year when she was found and returned to the pond ,

“ If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard,

because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”

But I am afraid Tilly has forgotten what it felt like to be so far from home. Darn those biological urges.