Elvis
1999

 

My name is Elvis, and I'm an Eastern Box Turtle.

This is the turtle condo that Todd built me right after he married Carla.  2 stories
with a ramp, swimming pool, heated rock, window, and wall to wall Astroturf.

Taking it easy on a lazy sunny day!

Looking out my window to see Carter & Taylor playing...

Elvis - R.I.P.

After living with me for 18 years, Elvis died peacefully after one last long winter in Massachusetts. She was an Eastern Box Turtle, more common in the midwest and southeast, rather than the Northeast. She had issues with her beak, and beak overgrowth and had had surgery for that. Otherwise, she adjusted well, and was very healthy. She would usually hibernate (in OH, MI and in MA) during the winter months, sleeping a lot, rarely eating and only drinking every week or so. But this last winter, she did not do so well. She is buried in a special place in our yard in MA, and I would have this type of turtle as a pet again, but do not at this time. There will never be another Elvis the Turtle. :-(
Elvis is missed so much! I still collect and love all things turtle. We even had one show up on our curb here in GA. I moved it to a safer place, it was an eastern box turtle, and I even attempted to ask Todd if I could keep it (he said no...boohoo), ha! But it found a home for a few days in our back yard, and then was gone. It happened to be about twice the size of Elvis. Very impressive.

Elvis was a great pet for the kids. She spent many days visiting preschools and schools for "Pet Day" and "Show & Tell". Her escapism techniques never ceased to amaze us. With just the right amount of energy and a nearby rock or old sock for burrowing under, she could manage to climb out of her house and surprise us somewhere in the house.

She did manage to fall and crack her shell once, of her own doing...but it amazingly healed perfectly and she lived another 2 years.

Hoover & Elvis never interacted. They were kept separate from each other in the house, so that was never an issue. However, when I first had Elvis after college - she was around my cat Tabitha (RIP) at my parent's house. She would pull her head in her shell and run away from the cat with just her four feet out. It was hilarious to watch. Don't know if we ever got that on video or not, but I should check.

How I got my name?

When Carla was in college (Ohio U.) she and her friends were on their way to Strouds run for a picnic, and there I was in the middle of the road in a sunspot. They picked me up and moved me back to side of the road, but I kept crawling back to the sunspot (it was warm).  Carla decided that I wouldn't have lasted long in the middle of the road, so she took me home.  It was voted that Carla be my "mom", and the name was Elvis was chosen. Only to find out later, I was actually a girl turtle... How embarrassing, but a good story.

From the earlier days when the kids were little: I'm still surviving with the "toddlers" in the house, and have been picked up, and played with more than I want to sometimes. I'm supposed to live to 25 years in captivity - so maybe I'll go back to college with Carter, Taylor, or Madison.

signed -
Elvis the turtle