The turtles of the bayou have become a popular attraction on campus. At any given moment, a student can be found feeding these aquatic creatures, pausing to watch them swim or just glancing over the bridge to see what they’re doing.
Cameron Johnson, a senior English major, said seeing the turtles reminds students how turtles can help nature awareness and realize how simple life is.
“I believe the turtles are an important part of this campus because they remind us of the working ecosystem and tie us back to nature. I love walking past them on the bridge because the turtles remind me that life goes on and at the end of the day life is very simple,” Johnson said.
Students all over campus have made feeding the turtles a valued pastime and for some, a hobby.
Lisa Miller, the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management, came up with the idea of feeding the bayou turtles and making t-shirts.
Morgan May, a senior risk management and insurance major, said while she’s working as a Hawk Seeker, she points out the turtles to prospective students.
“The turtles are a unique addition to ours tours and the campus. The bayou is one of our ‘selling points’ so it’s nice to be able to include the students in an activity centered around it. We also take and post pictures, students are generally excited to share them so it’s a nice recruitment aspect as well,” May said.
The best diets for turtles are cooked meats, insects, cooked eggs and leafy vegetables. Their stomachs cannot digest dairy or processed foods properly.
Brittany Stagg, a freshman pre-nursing major, said she enjoys feeding the turtles with her boyfriend after leaving the cafeteria.
“My boyfriend and I like to grab a roll on our way out of the cafeteria and feed small pieces to the turtles. We love seeing them dive and compete for it. Sometimes they fight, but overall, they’re really cute,” Stagg said.
As the temperature continues to drop, students will begin to see less of their reptilian friends as they will soon burrow in the mud of the river where they will stay until spring.
