Figure 1 – Harris the Eastern Box Turtle. (c) DE Wolf 2016.

My wife and I went to visit dear old friends this past weekend.  There is great comfort and ease to old friends, and I found myself looking into the face of their pet eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), whose name is Harris, and whom I have known for nearly twenty years as well. I took his photograph (Figure 1) doing his best Jar Jar Binks imitation with my IPhone set in “Reptile Mode.”

“Harris finished up his lunch and strolled over to the sliding doors to sniff and peer out the screen. He was placed royally on a cushion to give him a better view, and he dreamed his reptilian dreams, perhaps of adventures in the woods or perhaps of lady turtles.  For Harris there is nothing quite as appealing as a female terrapin endowed with a sexy carapace.

Like all pampered pets, Harris has run and reign of the house; so it is important to shuffle and never raise your feet as you walk about. The next morning I found him behind the couch contentedly snuggling up to the WiFi router, watching the lights blink, and just perhaps phoning home to the mother planet.