Way OT. Turtle in canal!

[dave]

Her-indoors (who hardly ever is btw), came back from an early morning walk Sat. with the following story.

Walking by the canal I heard a "plop" sound is if someone had thrown something inthe water. Looked where it came from and (believe me folks this is what she said), there was a turtle (tortoise?) swimming there!

I know this is way OT for this NG but as many knowledgable folk live here, I just wanted to ask can these creatures live ok/long in canal water? I guess it may be a pet someone just dumped in there. Anyway, it seemed (I'm told) quote happy and was swimming about ok occasionally coming to the surface - hence the plopping noise.

otoh global warming could be spreading more quickly that we know.

[Paul Herber]

probably a terrapin, unwanted pets get dumped in rivers and canals.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I used to work in an office which ran along a small stream. We used to see the odd one. As you say, they're pets which have been discarded (or escaped). They can't currently breed in the wild as it's too cold for their eggs to survive. If global warming gets the UK back to the temperature it used to be, then they will become native as they once were.

[Andy Champ]

Red-eared terrapin, ex-pet as others have said. Nasty bite, becoming a pest species as they'll eat anything that moves, and the eggs of any bird they find.

Andy

[1501]

Pests. Unlike a frog the shell blunts the blades in the blender.

[Clint Sharp]

Ahh, you need a blendtec...

Although I'm fairly certain they won't have done a turtle or frog.

[misterroy]

A turtle in the canal, is that a quote from "The Royal Family"?