Ethel Pink and Bob, two young Blanding’s turtles, are on a fast track. In Massachusetts, Blanding’s turtles are a threatened species, but Ethel Pink and Bob are over-achievers in their underclass.
Last fall, most of their brothers and sisters became snack food for crows, hawks or raccoons. Those few with the luck to survive are now hibernating under a foot of mud. In contrast, Ethel Pink and Bob are vacationing at the local library, lounging in an 80 degree tank, snacking on a Paleo diet, attended to by a covey of librarians and enthusiastic children. They are receiving a “head start” on life.
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