Tales from the Tank: Turtles at Isle a la Cache
- May 22
- 3 min read
There are many animals to observe outside in the Will County forest preserves, but its visitor centers are also home to a variety of species, some native and some not. Join us for our Tales from the Tank series where we will share the stories of our resident critters who call our visitor centers home.
Hi there! I’m Hungry Hungry Hippo, or H3 for short. Welcome to my tank!
My tank is at Isle a la Cache Museum. Take a look around. It has space to stretch out under the warmth of a heat lamp, swim and hide when the museum is a little noisy.
Meet my tankmates: Jackie, Taco and Shirlee. Even though we each look a little different, we are all Blanding’s turtles. What? You’ve never heard of us? I’m not surprised. Our humans keep saying that the outside Blanding’s turtles are endangered in almost every place they live in the United States. And it’s because of that elite endangered status that the four of us are here. Many humans need to see our smiling faces!
Jackie: Psst. I’m Jackie. Many humans think I’m the oldest turtle in the tank because of the (42) after my name. But that’s not my age; that’s my ID. I hatched with dozens of other baby Blanding’s turtles as part of a head-start program.
Human scientists painted ID numbers on the shells of my quarter-sized tankmates and recorded how much we ate and how much we grew each day.
After growing up that first year, many of my first friends were released outside. Me? My 42 has worn off, but I’ll always carry the name Jackie Robinson and his famous number. Besides, my humans say I’m special ... that’s why I’m here!
H3: Taco, introduce yourself.
Taco: I’m Taco. Everyone loves me because of my name. Which is silly, because I don’t even know what a taco is. Visitors scream and tap on the glass when I’m just relaxing here and minding my own business. That is no way to treat an important ambassador such as myself. I mean, have you ever seen another yellow turtle? Probably not in the wild.
Shirlee: Hi.
H3: The other yellow-headed turtle over there is Shirlee. She is the baby of our tank, but baby-sized no more! She is now a full adult, according to humans with the number stick and weighing machine.
Taco: H3, only you and I are the mature adults in this tank. No one else is laying eggs!
Words to know
Ambassador: An official or unofficial representative.
Elite: Superior in quality, rank or skill.
H3: That’s true. Blanding’s turtles don’t lay eggs until we’re old enough … about 16 or 20 years of age. I don’t know how to count but that’s what our humans say! I hatched a long time ago in 2004, making me the most experienced egg layer.
Taco: This is a no-boys-allowed tank, though, so there will be no hatchlings stealing our food.
Shirlee: FOOD! I hope it’s crayfish.
ALL: CRAYFISH!!
H3: Our humans feed us all sorts of things — insects (have you tried cicadas?), worms, whitefish, silversides, dragonfly nymphs, shrimp and our favorite, crayfish. Sometimes they throw in colorful things called fruits and veggies. Not sure what those are but no one likes those here. Bleh.
During the summer months, we go on trips outside the museum. We’re told that sunlight is good for our shells and that we semi-aquatic turtles need to “strengthen our land muscles.” Only humans could make these vacations sound like work.
Taco: Aside from people watching, my favorite activity is hiding underneath our log. If I am underneath the log, you can’t see me.
H3: Don’t be alarmed if you see us there. We can stay underwater for much longer than you think!
But right now, it is time for our daily bask under the heat lamp. We might be warm and welcoming celebrities, but we are still cold-blooded critters. Say hi next time you swim by!
