REPCO's Prehistoric World

04/25/2025

Day Five of International Turtle and Tortoise Week.

Let's end it with a fun, errr...bizarre??...turtle fact!

Meet the Chinese Softshell Turtle. His superpower? He p*es through his mouth. When on land, a Chinese soft-shell turtle will stick its head into whatever water it can find (think puddles) and expand and contract its mouth for up to 100 minutes, using gill-like structures inside the mouth to pump out excess urea. But why do they do that? Why don't they just p*e the old fashioned way?

Chinese softshells live in very salty areas. To urinate through the normal kidney route, the turtle would need to constantly drink more water to make up for what it lost. And because the surrounding water is so salty, they would soon build up toxic levels in their bodies. The solution? You got it! Just p*e through your mouth!

Don't try this at home, kids.

04/24/2025

Lizard Liam went herping in Michigan yesterday while on vacation. He found northern water snakes, eastern garter snakes and a species of special concern, the Butlers garter snake! 😮😍 How cool!

04/24/2025

Once in awhile, a special child asks people to donate to the animals here at Prehistoric World in lieu of birthday gifts. We always find that so amazing and so incredibly unselfish. I don't think I would have even thought of doing that when I was a child. I don't think it even crossed my radar! Recently, a boy named TJ was one of those children. For privacy reasons (although the parents can share pictures or information if they choose to on this post) we won't say last names or party pictures, but we just want to thank him for being an extraordinary young man, and thanks to family members that donated. It was put to good use for Butter's vet appointment and habitat improvements. 💚💛🩵

04/24/2025

In search of...isopods! Do you have an excess amount of springtails or rollie pollies (aka pillbugs, sow bugs, potato bugs, etc)? Perhaps you found some under some rotting wood in your yard? We would love to add them to our bioactive habitats! Contact us if you have extras.

04/24/2025

Welcome to Day Four of International Turtle and Tortoise Week!

Why is that sea turtle crying? It is actually not crying at all! Sea turtles drink seawater to hydrate, but they need to be able to excrete excess salt. The sea turtle's kidneys are unable to excrete large volumes of salt via urine, so sea turtles evolved lachrymal glands located in the corner of each eye to remove excess salt.

Pictured below is an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle shedding some "tears"!

04/23/2025

Does anyone have any forsythia flowers that we can gather for our tortoises as a seasonal treat?

04/23/2025

A big thanks to Billy Murphy for the rocks! They will be placed in the habitats of Andy, Demolition Dan, Millie Waffles, Casanova and Poseiden! 🥰🐢🦎

04/23/2025

Welcome to Day Three of International Turtle and Tortoise Week!

Out of 360 turtle and tortoise species, more than half of them (187 species) are threatened with extinction on International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

“Turtles and tortoises are one of the most threatened groups of animals that we know of,” says Craig Stanford, chair of Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group at the IUCN and lead author of the study. There’s simply no other group of animals of several hundred species where more than half of them are staring down extinction. “That’s just extraordinary,” Stanford says.

Want to help? Contact us for more information on how you can help turtles and tortoises!

04/22/2025

A big thanks to Daniel W Koenig for supplying us with skunk cabbage for our snapping turtles! Common snappers, particularly babies and juveniles, love to eat these in the spring.

04/22/2025

Day Two of International Turtle and Tortoise Week! Did you know there are 62 different species of turtles in the United States? As a matter of fact, the US has the highest number of turtle species in the world! Alabama is the state with the most turtle species, numbering at 35. That's amazing!

If you are a teacher, contact us on how to get free educational material for your classroom for International Turtle and Tortoise Week!

Pictured below is a green sea turtle.

04/22/2025

Happy Earth Day! I've traveled all over and seen tons of ecosystems. What is your favorite place on Earth? Deserts, beaches, rainforest, marshes, mountains, plains, rivers...or do you prefer being in the city? Here is the results of the Zoo Crew votes:

Safari Seth: temperate forest, but love many ecosystems
Lizard Liam: tie between mountains and coastal wetlands
Cobra Curt: forests and mountains, ocean
Crocodile Crystal: wherever the live oaks with Spanish moss grow 😆 That's heaven.

04/21/2025

Our Honduran Wood Turtles, also known as the Six Franks, are an omnivorous species. Today they are enjoying a mix of greens for their dinner.

04/21/2025

Woo hoo! It is Day One of International Turtle and Tortoise Week! 🐢 We are going to celebrate our shelled friends this week, although I feel I celebrate them everyday here. 😆

There are 357 species of turtles (this includes tortoises). Pictured below are Diamondback Terrapins at Riverside Reptiles. What is YOUR favorite species of turtle? I would love to know. Is there a species you would like to see at Prehistoric World?

04/21/2025

More turtle eggs! The Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima incisa (the Six Franks) have been laying up a storm this year. Hopefully some of the eggs will be good. 🤞

04/20/2025

Happy Easter to everyone. Whether you partake in the holiday or not, we hope your day is WONDERFUL! 🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜🐇🐰🐣🐥

04/19/2025

Miss Suzanne encouraged me many years ago to do programs. She's been long retired now, but she happened to be in town and caught one of my shows. I owe her a lot and give her a lot of credit for the path I took. Sometimes we just need a little push or a mentor to get us where we are supposed to be in life.

04/18/2025

A huge thank you to everyone who donated to Michigan J Frog's new habitat! 💚🐸 Michigan says he appreciates you! 💚 He went from being sold for frog legs, to a second chance for life here. 🥰

04/18/2025

Amen. 😥🙏

The Emotional Impact of Rescue – What People Don’t Always See 💔🐾

Rescue work is often portrayed as inspiring—and it is. But behind every rescue is a weight that’s rarely spoken about.

Rescuers and carers often suffer quietly:

🌧️Compassion fatigue – constant exposure to suffering wears you down.

🌧️Burnout – the emotional cost of always being needed, of never being able to do enough.

🌧️ Witnessing trauma – seeing neglect, cruelty, abandonment.

🌧️Making impossible decisions – when you can’t save them all.

🌧️ No support system – many carers work alone, with no therapy, no backup, no rest.

And still—they show up. Every. Single. Day.

Some rescuers carry multiple responsibilities and that in itself is taxing.

A full-time job, household responsibilities, family obligations, owned pets - not including fosters. Rescue comes with many hats and there are many that don't just juggle one role.

We need to talk about the emotional toll of caring.
Because the truth is: saving animals often breaks the people doing the saving.

If you know someone doing rescue work—check on them. Help them. Listen.

They carry more than you realize. 🐾💕

In honor of National Animal Care & Control Appreciation Week and to all of the individuals involved in Animal Welfare, doing far more than anyone truly understands.

We see you... 💓