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If you’re a gossip junkie, you know that Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest companion is a 10-year-old Sulcata tortoise. But did you know that DiCaprio’s new buddy could live for another 80 years? Even smaller breeds of turtles — the kind you used to see for sale in Chinatown before the city cracked down on the illegal practice — can live for 60 years.
There’s no doubt about it: Owning a turtle is a major commitment. But that didn’t dissuade Jean Huang and Peter Barrett from bringing two red-eared sliders (the most common type of pet turtle) into their lives. In fact, their hard-shelled pals, Michael and Ella, even attended their wedding this August — sporting a bow tie and a flower.
“We’ve become crazy turtle people together,” says Huang. They bought Michael in Chinatown, but after learning about the law that prohibits the sale of turtles under four inches, and hearing sad tales of people buying turtles and not taking proper care of them, they’ve since become advocates for turtle adoption. In fact, Barrett turned to the Turtle Rescue of Long Island group to find a pal for Mikey, and surprised Huang with Ella when he proposed.
“They’re an integral part of our relationship!” says Huang. “Everyone knows us as the crazy turtle couple!”
Crazy, but devoted. Learning that Mikey (who’s named after Mayor Bloomberg) would live for 50 or 60 years was a shock at first, but they were so taken with him that they happily splashed out on all the necessary equipment to make him feel at home.
“A $5 turtle turned into an [expensive] proposition,” says Huang of the aquarium that took up most of their dining table, plus the water heater, filter and heat and UVB lamps that keep their cold-blooded friends comfy.
“Ella basks [under that heat lamp] like it’s her 9-to-5 job,” says Huang. “But as soon as we get home, Michael starts trying to get out of his tank so we can pet him. We scratch his shell and he does a twist to get us to scratch the right part. He’s hysterical.”
Ella, on the other hand, is a bit more aloof. “We call her ‘the professional turtle,’” says Huang. “She comes over to us begrudgingly to be fed, but doesn’t have the same affectionate nature.”
Julie Maguire of the Turtle Rescue of Long Island says that each species of turtle or tortoise has specific needs when it comes to food and shelter. Mikey and Ella eat pellet food for aquatic turtles that’s available from pet stores, but Huang and Barrett also feed them fresh vegetables.
“They’re like kids,” says Huang. “They reluctantly eat their leafy greens.”
They love, however, to go for walks in the grass when it’s warm enough, and Huang and Barrett hope one day to have a big house with a pond for them to swim in.
Maguire stresses that anyone interested in getting a turtle should, like Huang and Barret did before finding Ella, research the species and know what to expect.
“They’re all cute when they’re little, but not everyone can have a 150-pound tortoise in their home or a 10-pound turtle swimming in a tank in their apartment,” she says. “If you buy one, it should be yours for life.”
“We know we’re going to have them even when we have grandkids,” says Huang. “Fortunately, we really love turtles. They’re much more lively than you would think a reptile could be. We think of them as our little green dogs.”
For more information on turtle adoption, contact the Turtle Rescue of Long Island, turtlerescues.org. If you find a turtle roaming free, you should contact LITR or the local office of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at 718-482-4900. Not all turtles should be released back into the wild.
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