By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
When Bowser goes for a walk in City Park, his owner doesn’t bother with a leash.
The pace is slow and steady for the African Spurred Tortoise, which is the largest mainland species of tortoise in Africa, and the third-largest in the world, after the Galapagos tortoise and Aldabra giant tortoise.
But there are times when Bowser leaves his owner, Tim Miller of Bowling Green, in the dust.
“I gotta catch up with him – that’s rare,” Miller said, recognizing the irony during a recent walk when his turtle seemed to hurdle ahead.
Miller acknowledged that when people see him strolling behind Bowser that they naturally have questions – as was the case recently when a car inched along next to the man and his tortoise as they meandered on a sidewalk on Conneaut Avenue.
“You meet a lot of people when you’re walking a turtle,” Miller said.
The silent tortoise is a conversation starter.
Miller said he purchased Bowser from a breeder in Michigan four years ago as a gift for his girlfriend’s son. At the time, the turtle fit in the palm of his hand.
That’s no longer the case, with Bowser now being the size of a small carry-on bag. He feasts on lettuce, cucumbers, and dandelions. “Dandelions are definitely his favorite,” Miller said.
Though a naturally shy creature, Bowser needs no encouragement to come out of his shell.
“You’ve got to have time for him. He needs his people,” Miller said.
And he likes his outings.
“He needs this or he’ll destroy his enclosure,” Miller said. “He’s like a toddler.”
Recognizing that most motorists have no patience for a slow-moving toddler tortoise in a crosswalk, Miller picks up Bowser to carry him across streets.
African spurred tortoises are native to the Sahara Desert and the Sahel, where they are found on hills, stable dunes, and flat areas with shrubs and high grass. Males average a weight of 179 pounds, but some males have been recorded at over 220 pounds.
The tortoise has no known predators when they are hatchlings or adults. However, tortoise eggs are sought after by many predators such as lizards and mongooses. In the wild the leading cause of death is being unable to right themselves after they have been flipped onto their backs, chiefly as a result of fighting between adult males.
African spurred tortoises are passive and docile pets. They are almost never aggressive and barely ever show territorial behavior.
“He only bites if he thinks you’re food,” Miller said of Bowser.
They are also very curious and can end up stuck on their backs, needing help getting flipped back over.
The tortoises have a lifespan of around 70 years.
“My kids’ kids will have a pet,” Miller said.
But even when walking a tortoise, time flies as Miller discovered when checking his watch during Bowser’s recent patrol of City Park, and realizing he had to get to work. He had to cut the turtle’s trek short.
“He’s going to be mad,” Miller said. “He never wants to go home.”
