They need to dig a pond for the big old boy, and 18 others
terrapins, including Tetley who's just the size of a teabag.
Andrea has a five-year-old collie cross called Lazah, a bearded dragon named Johnny - and Alan, a
terrapin.
It has often been believed that many households acquired
terrapins in the 80s following the popularity of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and struggled to care for them.
"Basically New Jersey did its homework," said Peter Marcus, communications director for
Terrapin New Jersey.
Recent EU invasive alien species regulations now prohibit aquariums from taking in pet
terrapins or moving
terrapin stock to other aquariums.
"We especially love helping preserve the
terrapin nests.
Because diamondback
terrapins feed on a steady diet of mollusks and crustaceans, they are an excellent indicator of the health of New York's estuarine habitats; a healthy diamondback
terrapin population reflects healthy populations of blue mussels, clams and blue crabs.
The firm was founded by Nathan Leight and was co-sponsored by affiliates of
Terrapin Partners, LLC and affiliates of Macquarie Group Ltd.
It is thought the
terrapin may have been dumped in the River Conwy: thousands were bought as pets and subsequently abandoned in the wake of the Ninja Turtle cartoon series in the early 1990s.
Keeping a
terrapin in your house can be a very rewarding experience without having to take too much time out of your day.