>>CORLEY PEEL: WELL, TODAY IS A BIG DAY FOR THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY.
SPECIFICALLY. IT’S ALLIGATOR
SNAPPING TURTLE TONKA IS
TURNING 56 THIS YEAR SHE IS
CELEBRATING. LOOK AT THAT
FACE. DOCTOR ANTHONY MORTIMER
WITH MUCH IS JOINING US IN
STUDIO THIS MORNING. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE FOR
HAVING ME. THANKS. ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THIS IS ALWAYS A BIG
EVENT AND IT’S NOT THE FIRST
TIME WHERE THE MOST FUN TIME
FOR BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO GET A
DOCTOR’S VISIT AS WELL. YES,
WE WE TRY TO MORE LIKE THAT. A
SPA DAY. HAHA.
>> HE’S USED TO THE ROUTINE,
BUT GETTING HIM OUT OF THE
POND IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST
PROCESS BECAUSE HIS SPECIES
DOESN’T REALLY LIKE TO COME UP
ON LAND. SO WE’RE VERY CAREFUL
ABOUT GETTING HIM OUT. WE GET
GREAT HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS AT
THE JACKSONVILLE ZOO AND THEN
HE’LL HAVE A FULL MEDICAL
EXAM. SCRUB MICHELLE DOWN FROM
HIS SO WE TRY TO MAKE IT AN
ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR ME AS
WELL AS CHECKING UP ON HIS
HEALTH.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND CAN YOU
TELL US A LITTLE BIT HIS
HISTORY AT SHOES AM HE’S BEEN
HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND JUST
HOW IMPORTANT HE IS TO THE
MUSEUM WILL ABSOLUTELY IS KIND
OF OUR UNOFFICIAL MASCOT. I
GUESS YOU COULD SAY HE HE IF
YOU ASK HIM, HE’S KING OF THE
HE’S BEEN VERY SOCIAL LATELY.
I THINK HE KNEW THIS DAY WAS
COMING UP.
>> YOU KNOW, HE’LL CRUISE ON
OVER AND CLIMB UP ON THE ROCKS
LIKE YOU SAW IN PICTURE THAT
YOU LED OFF WITH. BUT HE’S
BEEN WITH LOSS SINCE 1995. I
WAS ACTUALLY FOUND IN A POND
OVER IN MANDARIN. AND I THE
ONLY REMAINING MYSTERIES,
REALLY HOW WE GOT TO THIS PART
OF THE STATE BECAUSE BY HIS
DNA, HE’S ACTUALLY PART OF THE
APALACHICOLA, SOME SPECIES
THAT’S MORE COMMON AND WESTERN
FLORIDA. WOW. SO WE’RE NOT
REALLY SURE HOW WE GOT TO
JACKSONVILLE, BUT GLAD THAT HE
CAME TO WHEN HE WHEN HE FIRST
ARRIVED, HE ABOUT 29 YEARS OLD
AND A LITTLE 25 POUND GUY AND
HE WAS ORIGINALLY IN HIS OWN
ENCLOSED DISPLAY THERE ON THE
FIRST FLOOR AND THEN MOVES TO
THE HEX NATIVE PLANT COURTYARD
IN 2006. ALRIGHT, BEEN HOME
EVER SINCE. AND NOW YOU TOLD
ME HE WEIGHS CLOSE TO 2.25.
LONGER. 25 OUT. A LOT OF
GROWING HIS LAST UNOFFICIAL
WAY AND WAS TO 19. SO WE’LL
SEE WHAT HE COMES OUT TO
TODAY. BUT HE’S BEEN.
>>CORLEY PEEL: VERY GOOD
HEALTH AND VERY ACTIVE. ALL
RIGHT. AND HE SOME RENOVATIONS
OR UPGRADES TO HIS LIVING
QUARTERS. IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
SO IN THANKS TO THE DIXON
FAMILY WHO IS GENEROUSLY
SPONSORED THE COURTYARD FOR
FOR YEARS
>> WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE ALL
OF THE OLD WOODEN FENCING AND
THE BRIDGE THAT USED TO GO
ACROSS THAT PART OF THE POND
AND REALLY OPEN UP THE SPACE
AND AND EARTHWORKS
JACKSONVILLE CONTRIBUTED THE
PATH THAT GOES ALL THE WAY
AROUND THE POND. SO REALLY
OPENED UP OUR EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES. AND OF COURSE,
THE ABILITY TO SEE TALKER, HE
STILL FEEL SAFE CAN FEEL LIKE
HE’S HIDING UNDER THE DOCK HIS
MAP. BUT YOU CAN STILL SEE
THAT’S WONDERFUL.
>> AND YOU ALSO SUMMER EXIT
EXHIBITION. DINOSAUR EXPLORE.
CAN YOU TELL US LITTLE BIT
ABOUT HOW?
>> TONGA IS ALSO CONNECTED TO
THAT? ABSOLUTELY. ALLIGATOR
SNAPPING TURTLES ARE ARE OFTEN
CALLED THE DINOSAUR. THE
TURTLE MAINLY BECAUSE OF THEIR
THEIR THICK SHELL, THEIR LONG
SCALY TAIL
>> THEIR THEIR BEAK AND THE
CLAUSE WHICH WILL GET TRIM
TODAY, WHICH ARE LONGER THAN
MY FINGERS RIGHT NOW. OH, MY
GOD. HE’S DEFINITELY DUE FOR
PADDOCK HERE TODAY. BUT THOSE
THEIR LONGEVITY. TYPICALLY
THEY CAN LIVE. THE MALES WILL
LIVE UP TO 100 YEARS AND DIE
OF OLD AGE BECAUSE THEY HAVE
NO NATURAL PREDATORS. AND SO,
YOU KNOW, THEY’RE DON’T
MORTALITY IS REALLY ONLY ABOUT
1, 1, HALF PERCENT. WOW SUIT
ON KUZ TURNING 56 TODAY. BUT
>> WHAT WHAT DO YOU
ANTICIPATE? HOW LONG DO YOU
THINK HE’LL HAVE FOR? HE’S GOT
A LONG WAY TO GO. WE TAKE GOOD
CARE OF THEM AND WE CHECK THEM
REGULARLY. I’M NOT JUST ON HIS
BIRTHDAY. YOU KNOW, WE GET IN
THE WATER WITH THEM WHENEVER
WE NEED TO JUST TO HAVE CHECK
ON HIS HEALTH AND WELFARE AND
I’M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN REALLY
TELL TURTLE IS HAPPY, BUT HE
SEEMS VERY HAPPY LOVES
INTERACTING WITH GUESTS.
>>CORLEY PEEL: ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THAT IS WONDERFUL THAT
SO EXCITING. BE SURE TO GO.
CHECK OUT THE MOSH AND TONGA
ON HIS BIRTHDAY LATER TODAY.
THANK YOU. THINK IT’S