For the past 30 years, Manuela, the red-footed tortoise from Rio, probably survived by eating termites in the storeroom she was trapped in after the house she lived in underwent renovation.
This tough little tortoise demonstrates the longevity that her species is known for, according to the report from Care2.
Veterinarian Jeferson Pires explains that Manuela was able to survive for nearly a third of a century surrounded by old televisions because red-footed tortoises like her can survive for long periods (two or three years) without eating. In the wild, the tortoises eat “fruit, leaves, feces, dead animals.”
Thirty years ago, a family in Rio Janeiro, the Almeidas, concluded that Manuela, their red-footed tortoise, had escaped through a door left open by workers renovating the house. But just this week, Leandro Almeida, was more than startled to discover that Manuela was very much alive, having lived for three decades in an upstairs storeroom.
For years and years, Leandro’s father, Leonel Almeida, had been stowing away electronic equipment (some of it broken) and other junk in the second floor of his house. After his death earlier this January, Leandro and his siblings cleaned out their father’s residence.
Manuela has now resumed the routines she enjoyed prior to her 30-year stay in the storeroom. The tortoise is back to walking around the garden, eating leaves and getting to know a new generation of Almeidas.
In captivity, red-footed tortoises have lived for about 30 years.
Here’s to hoping that Manuela, now that’s she been set free after so long, can enjoy her time in the sunshine, with some wet mud never too far away for her to wallow in.
I wonder how she got enough water? Very glad they found her alive and well! We love happy endings for animals, don't we?!
The astrology of geography
Rio de Janeiro itself has been around for quite a long time, too; founded on March 1, 1565, Rio is Piscean; the United States is, of course, Cancerian, being born on July 4, 1776.
I've always been quite fond of turtles, and had several little turtles as a kid. Now, I use their slow breathing style as a model in meditation and relaxation breathing sessions. I romanticize their ability to tuck themselves in and hide away from the world!
Manataka American Indian Council tells us:
You can't help but admire turtles and tortoises. Their ancient wisdom, unfaltering character and physical characteristics make them among nature's most interesting creatures.
The turtle is a creature of both water and the land. Because of its great age and its slow metabolism the turtle is associated with longevity. The oldest known tortoise died in 1965 in Madagascar at the age of 188.
Turtle medicine can teach new perceptions about time and our relationship to it. It can also help us grow old gracefully and in harmony with our environment. When the pace of life becomes too hectic the turtle shows us how to slow down and go with the flow.
TURTLE MEDICINE
• The turtle has its own built-in house on their back. The upper shell is composed of about 50 bones, including modified ribs, vertebrae and bony skin plates. The shell is very much alive and not dead tissue.
If turtle has crawled into your subconscious, it may carry the message to remain mobile and flexible in your spiritual walk and not to acquire more possessions that you need. The burden of possessions can slow our spiritual journey.
• Growth rings (scutes or scales) on a turtle/ tortoise shell cannot be used to determine its age with any degree of accuracy.
In most cases, the rings are determined largely by environmental conditions. The size, color and other physical adaptations of the turtle are also largely determined by its environment.
The turtle teaches us to accept the world we live in and to adapt to changes when needed.
• Grandfather Turtle has amazing survival skills and strategies. They sense vibrations in the water through their skin and shell.
If turtle comes with a message for you, it may be interpreted to mean that you should listen closely to your physical and spiritual senses and vibrations and move slowly and cautiously to adapt.
• Water turtles come ashore to lay eggs and bury them in the ground. After the eggs hatch, the baby turtles crawl to the water. This characteristic is a significant sign in pointing out connections, especially for the purpose of reproduction, between the elements of water and earth.
Turtle may be telling us to combine the deep emotional and spiritual qualities of the water element with the strong and solid grounding qualities of Mother Earth in our search for balance.
• When the turtle negotiates uneven terrain and its weight causes it to flip over on to its rounded shell, it uses its strong neck to right itself. This ability when communicated by messages from the turtle may be a sign to use the tools at your disposal to use your inner senses and knowledge to correct the problem when your life becomes upside down.
• When old turtle slowly crawls in to your dreams and visions, it is time to get connected to your most ancient heart and delve deeply in to the shell you have constructed around yourself. Peer deeply into that shell.
The turtle cannot be separated from its shell and we cannot separate ourselves from who we are. We can develop ways to emerge from our shell to interact and take sustenance from the world around us, and at the same time, allow that emergence to be a blessing to all around you and your spiritual walk on earth.
• The slow moving plod of the turtle does sooner or later get them to where they are going. The turtle is famous for getting things done in its own slow-moving way and winning the race. Could this be a sign for you to slow down and enjoy the blessings gifted by the Creator?
Nature has so much to teach us, doesn't it?
For information on holistic astrology, please contact me at: www.holisticwellnesscenter.biz.
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