Every presentation is a guided introduction to real animals and how they live.
Centrochelys sulcata
Josie
My name is Josie. I'm a turtle, but I'm also a tortoise, and I eat a ton. Randy let the person who donates my food name me, and Kristi chose Josie! Please know what you're getting into before buying a baby tortoise. We sometimes outlive our owners!
Centrochelys sulcata
Bowser
My name is Bowser and I have a bad attitude. I'm much smaller than Josie, but I definitely bully her around. My shell has bumps because my diet wasn't right at first. Randy gives me grassland pellets to help it smooth out.
Chelonoidis carbonarius
Rudy
My name is Rudy and I'm from South America. My first owners fed me pellets with the right nutrients, so my shell is smooth. I can live over fifty years, and I want to enjoy every moment. I do eat a lot, which means I also poop a lot. Remember that before buying a tortoise!
Cyclemys dentata
Mulan
My name is Mulan. My UVB light was covered by a plastic cover for eight years, so my shell didn't develop correctly. I'm a great teaching tool for proper turtle care. Randy doesn't recommend turtles as pets unless you're ready for decades of tank cleaning!
scripta elegans
Flower
My name was formerly Bob, but I'm a female red-eared slider. My first owner named me before knowing my sex. Party Safari staff will teach you how to tell adult males and females apart. Did you know all adult female turtles lay eggs to reproduce?
Trachemys scripta scripta
Lemon Head
My name is Lemon Head and I'm a male yellowbelly slider. I'm closely related to Flower and have been known to breed with females. Do you think our hatchlings would be orange turtles?
Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii
Kayla
My name is Kayla and I'm a female Mississippi map turtle. Compare me with a tortoise to see the difference between aquatic turtles and land-dwelling ones. I'm a bit calmer than the sliders, but we're all faster than the fables make you think.
Terrapene carolina carolina
Potato
My name is Potato because I look like one. My bottom shell is uniformly yellow, unlike my friend Chip's black-and-yellow one. That's how you can tell us apart where we overlap in the central United States. Randy likes to run a turtle race at presentations, so ask about it when you reserve a date!
Terrapene ornata
Chip
My name is Chip because I was run over by farm equipment out west, and I have the scar to prove it. We've been rocking tough shells since the time of dinosaurs. Our staff will explain how I'm more closely related to pond turtles than tortoises.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Tell us about your birthday party, school, daycare, or summer camp, and we will help you plan a hands-on reptile and animal experience built around your group.