The Journal

Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Beth Prusaczyk

The 94th Missouri General Assembly was called to order Jan. 3, 2007. Speaker of the House Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, spoke before the representatives that day, calling them to do great things, such as eliminate the tax on Social Security benefits, propose a solution for the St. Louis public schools crisis and establish a scholarship program for all Missouri students wanting to attend college in Missouri. Sounds good, right?


Well, Jetton forgot to mention an important bill being proposed to the representatives of the 94th General Assembly. HB 272, presented by Rep. James Viebrock R-Republic, designates the three-toed box turtle as Missouri's official state reptile. This bill is key to improving Missouri's reputation as conservative and old-fashioned, like its neighbors Illinois, Kansas and Arkansas.


The three-toed box turtle is found throughout Missouri except for the extreme northwest corner. It's a fierce creature that often spends its time hunting live prey, just as tigers and wolverines do. But don't be fooled by the turtle's speed. While some live prey includes snails and earthworms, crickets also are within the turtle's scope. As anyone who's tried to catch a cricket with a can of Raid can tell you, those little buggers are fast.


It's obvious why the three-toed box turtle is named as such, but Misourians might be surprised to know they often have four toes, instead of three. This shows the great character of the turtle and its perfect fit for Missouri. Missouri is, by all definitions, a red state but voted blue last year. Both the turtle and the state aren't afraid to break away from society's expectations.


However, Terrapene carolina triunguis would not make a great dormroom pet. These turtles are extremely aware of their surroundings and must be kept in a strict, climate-controlled environment ? no captivity in a fish tank for this renegade. Their favorite weather is warm and overcast, like just before a storm. They're not afraid of a little lightening and thunder if it means they get to feast on their favorite delicacy ? carrion.


So how does Missouri's turtle-hopeful stack up against surrounding states' reptiles? Illinois' choice, the painted turtle, lives in ponds and other slow-moving bodies of water. While the young feed on a steady diet of meat, which is pretty awesome, the females usually grow larger than the males and that is just not something Missourians are accustomed to.

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