Posted by Orac on August 3, 2008 I realize half the world has probably seen this, given that it’s been making the rounds on the Internet last week, but it amused me to no end:
Don’t mess with Leonardo. Or is it Leonardo? Or Raphael? Or Donatello? No doubt this little guy is protecting Master Splinter from the evil cat.
I vote Raphael. He was the *angry* one.
I couldn’t help it…the clip made me think of this.
http://littlegreybungalow.blogspot.com/2008/08/as-corollary-to-link-in-last-post.html
Shell Shock!
The turtle’s behaviour reminds me of the effect Toxoplasma Gondii has on rats and mice. An infected rodent sometimes walks right up to a cat, practically volunteering to get eaten. I wonder if the turtle could have T. Gondii or something similar.
No, T Gondii doesn’t infect reptiles. I think the tortoise is looking for a mate and is mighty confused. The species doesn’t have good long-range sight, and female tortoises are larger than male torts, so he’s seeing this big, inviting hump lying on the ground and making his advances….
My pet tortoise rather abruptly became a little hellion. He would lunge at my husband’s hands to bite him, and terrorized our kitten. Eventually we discovered that he had reached tortoise puberty, and was unhappy with the range of available partners (i.e. none). We sent him back to the tortoise farm, where hopefully he has assisted in the breeding of lots more bitey little tortoises.
This video brings back fond memories.
I thought perhaps the turtle was attracted by the light color. He seemed especially fond of the tail.
The turtle was attracted to an image of Gamera in the cat’s fur.
He’s a hero in a half-shell. Turtle (or tortoise) power!
Maybe he thinks its one of those fluffy pillows; long haired cats are lazy enough to be mistaken for one.
That is no ordinary tortoise, that is a land turtle on steroids.
It is a secret military assault mechanical turtle based on “alien” technologies. Rumors have placed such devices at area 51 or… I go with the above horny turtle theory. Either one makes me smile.
I believe we have a future nominee for the animal Darwin Award, no?
Poor little guy has his wires crossed. Or perhaps he’s just having fun. I mean seriously, what would you do if you could just pull yourself into an impenetrable portable fortress?
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