This is a young painted turtle that we had come in over the winter. We have quite a few turtles at the moment that we have been keeping until it warms up outside, but now that it’s above freezing at night they’re almost ready to go 🙂 Turtles, unlike mammals, hatch from eggs. Also unlike mammals, they spend no time unable to take care of themselves, and in fact naturally receive no guidance or help from their parents at all. As soon as they hatch they begin to fend for themselves in the wild. This is why, although he’s quite small, this turtle is quite ready for a natural life without human care.