If someone told you that your pet stinks, you would probably be very insulted, but on The Big Pet Project we meet a young man in Tipperary who won't take it personally. Tune in to RTÉ One at 5.15pm today.
Mersham brought along his unusual pet turtle named Lucky. This hero in a half-shell might look like a regular turtle at first glance, but this little guy has a very special trick. When he gets scared, he lets off a smelly musk that keeps predators at bay - a natural stay away signal!
The pet owner has had Lucky for two years. Mersham takes care of him in a tank with plenty of water, stones to climb on, and lots of space to swim. Lucky has webbed feet, which help him move through the water.
When it’s dinner time, Lucky knows exactly what’s going on. He understands humans too well, sometimes begging for food. His favourite meal? Shrimps! And he devours the seafood with his tiny turtle jaws.
The Big Pet Project, hosted by Demi Isaac and Adam Beales, is streaming here now on RTÉ Player.
What Makes Musk Turtles So Cool? Here's what you need to know about these tiny but feisty turtles:
- Musk turtles live in North America
- Unlike most turtles, they walk along the bottom of rivers and lakes rather than swimming through the water.
- Their shells are often covered in a layer of algae, which helps them camouflage and hide from predators
- They have a top shell and a bottom shell with a hinge
- If hiding doesn’t work, they’ll bite, scratch, and stink — making them surprisingly tough for their size
- Predators in the wild include bullfrogs, water snakes, fish, skunks, raccoons, and even bigger turtles
Lucky may be small, but he packs a mighty punch, and he is not alone in Tipperary, as the Pet Mobile's final stop sees Adam and Demi meet plenty of other unforgettable animals.
There's everything from a pony, to dancing dogs and a grumpy goat. Demi handles a giant Cayman lizard. We are off to school, a special one with its own farm.
As always, we love to find out lots of fun animal facts, and our Vet Dr Bobby has a doozy! He explains why rabbits can’t fart
The Big Pet Project is streaming now on RTÉ Player, and you can catch clips, behind-the-scenes fun and more unusual animals on the RTÉ KIDS YouTube channel.
