Today’s “Pet Profile” is of Squishy, a pet turtle belonging to Prep sophomore Trinity Scalia. 

Trinity has had Squishy since first grade. She has had him, therefore, for nine years, making him the pet she has owned the longest.

 Squishy is a Red Ear Slider Turtle, and this variety can live up to thirty years. Trinity decided to get a Red Ear Slider Turtle because she loves turtles. She got him when she lived in Las Vegas, where he was considered an exotic pet. In Mississippi, however, it is possible to find turtles of this type in nearly any body of water. 

Squishy likes to eat feeder fish such as goldfish. He can be kind of mean at times and can bite, but overall he is a sweet turtle. He is currently the size of a hand; when she got him he was only the size of a quarter. 

Trinity has loved watching Squishy grow up.  She currently wants to move him into a bigger tank. Right now he is in a 40-gallon tank. 

Squishy’s favorite activities are swimming and sunbathing. To anyone interested in owning a turtle, Trinity would like to say, “They are pretty low maintenance, but you need research before wanting to purchase one like any pet. If you wanted to get into exotic pets, a turtle is a good place to start.”

If you know a pet who’d make a good Pet Profile, e-mail us at [email protected].