Turtle Sighting!

December 07, 2010

In the early hours of December 7, a staff member here at Red Bridge was able to get a clear photograph of one of the "Invisible Turtles" making their home in that Branch. The size of the colony remains unconfirmed, but based on the number of missing library materials, items vanished from the staff fridge, (mainly half-drunk sodas and cookies) and the number is believed to be between fifteen and twenty-five. An accurate number of the turtles will not be possible until the turtles are caught, tagged, and re-released. As another colony is believed to be living in the supermarket in the Red Bridge Shopping Center, it may be impossible to know which location the turtle calls home. It is thought that the two migrate from one building to the other with regularity. The upcoming frigid weather will, more than likely, cut down on these treks. With any luck, the staff may be able to tag captured turtles.

"Invisible Turtles", contrary to belief, do not hibernate this far south. An unknown number of turtles were found in a storage room in a McDonald’s in Waterloo, Ontario.  Shortly after their discovery, several turtles escaped into cars via the drive-thru. The employee who found the colony reports that, what few were left have either gone into hibernation, or have adapted to life in the restaurant and developed a taste for burnt fries.

In Montevideo, Uruguay, however – the "Invisible Turtles" are thriving. There is, at this time, no photographic evidence to substantiate this claim, only a growing number of bicycles which seem to crash with no obvious cause. Experts are still attempting to capture a Uruguayan Turtle and send the animal to the Institute of Fantastical Creatures in Surrey, England.

The turtle captured on October 9 at the Red Bridge Branch escaped from the Institute in England. Via the small tracking device, they were able to track the animal until November 21 when the battery in the tracking device failed. This turtle’s last known location was somewhere in Paris, France.

This staff member would like to remind everyone that "Invisible Turtles" remain highly endangered, and that the turtle in the above photograph was not harmed in any way.

Emily E.
Red Bridge Branch