Jasmine the Suwannee cooter

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Jasmine, a retired science teacher with multiple service awards to her credit, had always dreamed of living in a waterfront home in Florida, with a loyal companion by her side. After working for 30 years in turtle schools in the state’s Big Bend region, Jasmine’s dream finally became a reality. By day, Jasmine basks on the rocks in OMAM’s Peacock Pond, near the waterfall, with her beloved partner, Jonah. She enjoys the singing of neighboring birds, and she savors gourmet aquatic plants, followed by a strict regimen of paddling around the pond for a minimum of two hours each day. Earlier in her life, like all Suwannee cooters, Jasmine only ventured onto land to nest. These days, however, she loves taking slow, moonlit walks through the garden with Jonah.

Jonah the Suwannee cooter

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Born a poor Suwanee cooter in the dark, tannin-filled Withlacoochee River, Jonah worked hard in elementary and high school, persevered at the Turtle Police Academy, and eventually became one of the world’s most respected terrapin detectives, often consulting with the FBI, the CIA, and Scotland Yard. Finally, he settled down at OMAM with his “better half,” Jasmine. While his top priority is spending quality time with Jasmine, sleuthing remains in Jonah’s blood. After the sun sets, Jonah often takes Jasmine on seemingly romantic strolls around the garden, all the while looking for any signs of foul play. After all, as Suwannee cooters, Jonah and Jasmine are part of the Imperiled Species Management Plan. Whether it’s a sneaky raccoon or a bird of prey, Jonah’s always ready to outwit any bad actors in the area. 

Staff Sergeant Samson the Suwannee cooter

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Retired Staff Sergeant Seth Samson, a veteran Suwanee cooter with a crusty shell, carries the scars of many heroic battles with the Terrapin Army’s 14th Battalion. In his younger years, SSgt. Samson flipped over countless competitors and bravely engaged in claw-to-claw combat to secure his territory and defend the honor of the many ladies in his life. These days, SSgt. Samson can often be seen standing sentry at the edge of OMAM’s North Pond, where he keeps one bluish-green eye open, watching for predators and chuckling at the rambunctious antics of the more youthful pond residents. He’s old enough to remember the early days, when humans hunted Suwannee cooters for their meat, before his kind became a protected species — illegal to take, possess, or own. As a Suwanee cooter, SSgt. Samson could have reached a length of 17 inches, but hard living kept him from achieving his full size. Still, his fearlessness and service to the community make up for his modest size.

Shelly the yellow-bellied slider

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Shellessa, known to friends as Shelly, loves to accessorize by collecting leaves on her head and painting her claws the color of pond mud. OMAM’s “fashionista” yellow-bellied slider spent her early years working for Calvin Klein in New York City — a grueling but exciting time in her life, until she reached her full size of 13 inches. After 20 years in the business, an exhausted Shelly relocated to the museum’s Middle Pond. To make ends meet, Shelly worked at the Chico’s store in The Trails for a few months, before selling a condo so that she could retire in style. She still loves couture, though. Often, she luxuriates beneath white Crinum lilies, which remind her of dancing the night away at Studio 54, wearing her favorite Oscar de La Renta floral-inspired dress, back in the ‘80s. In recent months, Shelly has been getting on the other turtles’ last raw nerve by shouting, “Hi, Barbie!” over and over, whenever she spots other females.

Bossanova the yellow-bellied slider

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

From the start, Bossanova the yellow-bellied slider knew he was born to disrupt the status quo. A self-made turtle whose bold and innovative computer concepts forever changed Silicon Valley, Bossanova initially launched TOL (Turtles Online), a now-ubiquitous email and news platform. In the early 2000s, Bossanova made a shrewd deal to sell TOL for an unprecedented $5 billion, before launching a vast network of Internet nodes that brought connectivity to remote ponds across America — and beyond! Branching out again, Bossanova Broadcasting Corporation sprang to life and soon overtook the Discovery Channel as the go-to destination for high-quality nature documentaries and reality shows such as The Real Turtle Housewives and American Ninja Turtle Warrior. Currently, the Bossanova Family Foundation is focused on tackling urgent social issues such as algae overload in turtle habitats and the trend of humans who don’t know better illegally taking wild turtles to try and turn them into pets.

Amelia “Grace” Earhart the yellow-bellied slider

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

With her lean, aerodynamic physique and smooth swimming style, Amelia “Grace” Earhart the yellow-bellied slider always knew she was meant to fly. Growing up, she earned top grades and excelled at mathematics and science. Soon, she was accepted to attend the nation’s premier aviation and aerospace university, and — what luck! — it happened to be located in Daytona Beach, only a few miles from her home at OMAM. The classes were tough, but Grace persisted. Her flight instructor was strict, but again, Grace stuck with it. After a stint as a flight instructor, she had earned her required flight hours. She joined a regional airline as a copilot. In a few more years, Grace became the first terrapin captain at a major U.S. commercial airline. Her message to young turtles everywhere is this: “You can do it! Don’t let any turtles tell you otherwise.” Between flights, Grace enjoys spending time with her family, competing in chess tournaments, and staying put on the rocks in her pond.

Flippy Biles the Florida red-bellied cooter

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Flippy Biles enjoys basking on rocks, extending her legs upward, and then performing a triple-twisting, double-tucked salto back into OMAM’s North Pond. Underwater, she stays fit by obstacle-swimming between the roots of the pond’s many water hyacinths. In between plant snacks, Flippy revels in romance, and in the spring and summer, she has proudly produced as many as 30 eggs, in some years. Being a Florida red-bellied cooter, also called a Florida redbelly turtle, Flippy has a yellow mustache-shaped marking under her snout, but she has never been a fan of waxing. She’s decided to own her natural look with pride.

Donnashello the Florida red-bellied cooter

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Once an hourly-wage cartoonist at a Kansas City newspaper, Donnashello scored a series of influential awards before heading to Hollywood. There, she made her mark as the Senior Vice President and Chief Art Director for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) franchise. In fact, it’s rumored that TMNT star Donatello — the smart, gentle, purple mask-wearing member of the pack — was inspired by none other than Donnashello, whose keen business acumen and penchant for wearing shades of lavender remain legendary throughout the industry. Like all Florida red-bellied cooters, Donnashello adores splashing around freshwater ponds. Because Florida redbelly turtles are often exported as food and to the pet trade, Donnashello is always on her guard, which sometimes causes her to experience crippling anxiety. To combat the stress, she does hot yoga atop warm pond rocks and practices meditation by remaining completely motionless for amazingly long periods of time.

Timothy “Turbo” Tortellini the Florida box turtle

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Even as a senior citizen, at age 40, retired NASCAR pit crew member Timothy “Turbo” Tortellini still sports muscular shoulders and a high-domed, rounded shell that used to remind his former coworkers of a Volkswagon beetle. In his heyday, the attractive yellow “starburst” pattern on his carapace meant Turbo was never alone, if you know what we mean. His successful career came to a screeching halt in the mid-90s, however, when a small human girl picked him up and dumped him into a deep pond. “Oh, he’s supposed to be in the water,” was what the small human girl said. Sadly, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Box turtles live on land and are not always good swimmers. Turbo was eventually rescued by the girl’s mother, but he lost his gung-ho spirit and his ambition after that. Because of his hinged underside (plastron), Turbo can quickly pull his head, tail, and all four limbs into his shell and slam it shut, which is exactly what he does these days, whenever he hears a human getting too close. If the weather turns cool, Turbo digs a hole, covers himself up, and remains in a state of brumation until warmer weather returns. Recently, he met a beautiful writer named Yertle who reads poetry to him.

Yertle the Florida box turtle

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

It wasn’t always like this for Yertle. As a juvenile Florida box turtle, her parents never had to ask her twice to come out of her shell. Outgoing and carefree, Yertle zoomed around OMAM’s gardens, exposed herself to the Sun’s rays, and took quick dips in the water, to drink and cool off. She was always kind to friends, and the spectacular yellow markings on her carapace made her popular in high school. A profoundly literary turtle, Yertle also loved sharing her semi-autobiographical prose poems at open garden readings. Later, she earned degrees in creative writing and published short stories in journals that were, admittedly, on the pond’s sketchy fringe, yet still reputable. Sadly, Yertle’s query letters to agents and publishers went unanswered. Slowly, the lack of encouragement wore Yertle down. The burdens of adulthood and laying eggs every spring made her feel so exhausted that she remained closed inside her shell for hours. Finally, after talking things through with a mentor, Yertle resumed work on her Great American Turtle Novel. One day, whenever she can secure representation, Yertle knows her shell will once again shine with solar glory and the world will recognize her true talent.

Atlas the Gulf Coast box turtle

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

In his youth, former terrapin heavyweight champion Atlas boxed his way to greatness, leaving many opponents quaking in their shells. Don’t let his brawn fool you, though. Atlas has a soft heart and emotional intelligence in excess, and he values service above self. Much like his mythological namesake, Atlas carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Now a social worker, Atlas is constantly checking on any garden mates who might be hungry, cold, or oblivious to birds of prey. An empath by nature, Atlas holds a special place in his heart for the lost turtle souls who have been dropped at OMAM by owners who no longer want them. At night, whenever he hears a splash and spots a bewildered newcomer, Atlas rushes to give them a warm welcome. He also checks to see if they should live mostly on land (like him), or in the water, and he offers tips on how to find the tastiest treats, including all the omnivorous food groups: snails, worms, beetles, grasshoppers, slugs, grubs, moss, grass, berries, and mushrooms.

Lumanita the Florida mud turtle

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

In OMAM’s Middle Pond, Lumanita the Florida mud turtle basks under the light of the full moon and dreams of becoming an astronaut. In her spare time, she studies aeronautical engineering through an online degree program. To imagine the zero-gravity environment of space, she holds her breath while swimming. Even full grown, Lumanita’s carapace would fit neatly across the palm of a human hand. As a baby, she was smaller than a quarter, which meant she had her fair share of close calls with alligators, snakes, opossums, raccoons, crows, gars, and even crabs. Soon, though, she bulked up on seeds, leaves, and insects. Once she graduates from college, Lumanita plans to join the military. She wants to fly fighter jets first, so that she will be well positioned to apply for the astronaut program at NASA. If the astronaut thing doesn’t work out, Lumanita will look for an engineering job with SpaceX.

Swifty the red-eared slider

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Since concluding her successful career as a billionaire global pop star and cultural icon, Swifty the red-eared slider has been keeping a low profile, surrounded by her vast security team so that she can live a quiet, safe, semi-aquatic life at OMAM. So far, the paparazzi have not discovered Swifty’s undisclosed location in the museum gardens. (For her safety, we are omitting mention of her exact location.) Although Swifty is not native to Florida and red-eared sliders are one of the world’s most invasive species, her constant focus on being kind and doing good deeds has endeared her to all OMAM residents. They have rallied around Swifty, sometimes wearing tiny, beaded bracelets that bear her name, to ensure she always feels welcomed and protected. Currently, Swifty is leveraging her celebrity platform to raise awareness about what happens when red-eared sliders are purchased from pet stores and then released into the wild, or at OMAM. Once a young turtle with a bright green shell and reddish markings on either side of her face, Swifty’s carapace has begun to darken with age. Swifty is embracing her newfound maturity.

Traveler the red-eared slider

Profile by: Ginger Pinholster

Previously a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, Traveler the red-eared slider loves spending time with Swifty — dancing, singing, or enjoying quiet evenings with friends and family. Once a professional football player, Traveler likes to keep fit by darting through OMAM’s gardens and pushing leaves from one end of the pond to the other, sometimes barreling through other turtles in the process. Usually, the other OMAM residents (especially the female turtles) simply move back and marvel at Traveler’s remarkable form and chiseled physique. Traveler still wears his Superbowl championship ring, although these days, his main goal is to someday beat Swifty at a game of Scrabble. He also keeps himself busy by creating podcasts and acting in the occasional TV commercial.

Adopt! 

Special symbolic adoption cards representing each of these turtles will be available in the OMAM gift shop starting Friday, Sept. 27th!