Dirty Turtles

Today I took the kids to the zoo.  We love the zoo.  Each time we go we take our time and only see the animals we feel like seeing that day.  We're zoo members so we don't feel the pressure to see every animal each time we go.  On our way there, I ask the kids what animals they wanted to see.  Rory wanted to see the zebras and the tigers.  Kamryn wanted to see the polar bears, turtles (really the tortoises), gorillas and flamingos.

This was supposed to be a video but I was giggling too hard to shoot a video.

 

What you can't see are the 3 tortoises in this enclosure.  There was one guy hanging out in the back and right below Kamryn were two other ones.

My friends Kelley and Ted have tortoises.  They have had them for years and they live in their backyard.  They live in Arizona - perfect tortoise weather.  Or so I have heard.  I really know nothing about tortoises other than what Kelley told me on our last visit to their house.  One thing that seems to stand out was that tortoises like to copulate...a lot.

So if you haven't figured it out, we were intruding on a couple of tortoises having relations.  Obviously, my 5 year old had no idea what was going on so it became a lot of fun for me.

Me:  Kamryn, what are those tortoises doing?
Kamryn:  Well, that one is riding the other like a horse!
Kamryn:  Listen to them!  I think he's trying to talk.  *lots of tortoise grunts*
Me:  What do you think he's trying to say?
Kamryn:  Probably, "Go faster, horsey!"
Rory:  Me no like those turtles.

Just at that moment, Mr. Tortoise had a successful dismount and was on his way.  There was a family approaching and I could tell they were somewhat in a hurry to see what was going on around us.  They kept looking at me, then looking at the enclosure and then back at me.  I know they wanted to know why I was laughing so hard, but they didn't seem the type of family that would appreciate my tortoise affair.