The photo you saw to get here was in honor of Johnny Appleseed Day, and I (Karen, The Turtlesinger) actually am a descendant of Johnny Appleseed! Some turtles, like tortoises, can enjoy eating apples, too.
The photo here is of a fabulous New Jersey turtle called a softshell turtle, so we thought we would post it in honor of National Pancake Day, since this turtle’s shell resembles a pancake! And speaking of pancakes—and celebrating National Public Lands Day, too—one of our favorite public lands is Cape May Point State Park. They had a softshell turtle there, which the public helped name (speaking of National Pancake Day): Flapjack!
At the Wetlands Institute’s Turtle Fest, the festivities included delicious pancakes imprinted with turtle outlines (I wish I had taken a picture)!
There actually is a small African tortoise called a pancake tortoise! Their flat shells enable them to fit closely under rocks to avoid predators, and I used to help care for one when I got my training in reptiles at the Bronx Zoo Reptile House.
For a photo from another of our favorite public lands, SCROLL DOWN…
