troublesome terrapins...

This one's for Truro:

At the Sydney Wildlife World, glassed-in rooms full of cold-blooded creatures. In one forested room I saw an eight-inch turtle hesitating at the lip of a little pond. That this was more than just stereotypical turtle-ness was revealed when a six-inch turtle already in the water, maneuvered purposely toward him; the first reptile slipped quickly past and so began the most ferocious turtle action I have ever seen, as the smaller creature zoomed and swerved, trying to nip the bigger terrapin's toes as he twisted away with flashing speed, finally leaving the battlefield to his more diminutive but aggressive terrarium-mate. The rest of the afternoon we amuse ourselves with cries of "turtle fight!"