Name the Newcomer

Help us find a name for Strong National
Museum of Play’s red-footed tortoise—
the newest permanent resident of the
Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden at Strong.

Tell me more
She’s seven years old. She weighs a little over four pounds. And she loves to munch on fruits and veggies. Though this new resident does have a scientific name (Geochelone carbonaria), Strong is asking the public to help provide an apt nickname that will reflect the red foot’s personality and roll more easily off the tongue.

Where can I find her?
She’ll be sharing the lush, tropical butterfly garden with 800 vibrantly-colored free-flying butterflies, eight button quail, two society finches, two diamond doves, two Gouldian finches, and six goldfish. Our new tortoise will move into her roomy new bamboo-fenced enclosure adjacent to the chrysalis emergence case in the butterfly garden on July 14.

So, what’s an attractive tortoise like the red foot doing in a butterfly garden like this?
Chief entomologist Derek Kellogg explains the long and short of it: “We are seeking to acquaint our guests with contrasts between an animal that can live for many years (the red-footed tortoise lives approximately 50 years) with butterflies, whose short lives span only one to two weeks. This will make a lively, educational, living display for our guests.”

How can I enter the contest?
Entry boxes can be found near the museum Admissions desk and near the entrance to the butterfly garden. You can also click here and enter online. The contest begins July 14, 2008, and ends September 1, 2008. For complete contest rules, click here.

When will the winning name be announced?
The winning name will be announced in October 2008 and the contest winner will be invited to participate in a Naming Ceremony at the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden. The contest winner will also be awarded a selection of merchandise from the museum’s shops. The winner will be recognized on the museum’s website and in communications to our membership.

What if more than one person suggests the winning name?
We encourage many people, of all ages, to participate in the contest. In the event of a tie, the winner will be selected at random from among entries containing the winning name. Please see contest rules for more information.

Why have a contest?
Contests are a form of play. The Name the Newcomer contest provides an opportunity for creative thinking and a way to experience the six basic elements of play.

More about red-footed tortoises
Red-footed tortoises, named for the attractive red markings on their legs and heads, are found primarily in South and Central America. They are known to make wonderful pets and can live approximately 50 years and grow to between 12 and 14 inches long (males grow bigger than females). It can take up to 15 years for them to become full grown. Red foots eat mostly plants, vegetables, and fruits, especially dark green leafy vegetables. Occasionally, they will also eat meat. Red foots thrive best in warm, humid climates—between 70 and 80 degrees.

Tortoises or turtles – are they one and the same? One common question people ask is what traits tortoises share with turtles. According to Strong entomologist Kellogg, “In the U.S., turtles are generally characterized as spending most of their time in water and having webbed feet that help them to swim. Tortoises, on the other hand, are characterized as living on land. Their feet are round and stumpy and not webbed.”