Shelly and her younger "brother" Isador are both Red Eared Slider aquatic turtles that have become the beloved class pets of the 7th grade science department over the past few years. 

Shelly joined our class in October 2006 at the estimated age of 2 years.   As quickly as she adjusted to her new home,  we learned that the conditions that Shelly was previously kept in were not suitable for her species.  Once the proper adjustments were made, Shelly began to thrive and has become a very active turtle.   

Shelly can frequently be found walking around the classroom before homeroom and during lunch.  She loves this activity because it giver her a chance to stretch her legs and visit the neighboring classrooms (she also loves the hallway!).  In addition to increasing her activity level since she's joined HMS, Shelly has noticeably grown in size.  The 20 gallon tank that she came to us in was just big enough for her last year, but is now very difficult for her to maneuver in.  Shelly also loves to eat and may continue to grow to a carapace (shell) size of 30 centimeters in length!

In the middle of June 2007, Isador was found on a sidewalk in Hackensack by several students and was promptly brought to HMS to join Shelly in Room 241A.  Isador (who was then named Isabella because we incorrectly thought he was a girl) was a youngster when found and still remains considerably smaller in size than Shelly.  Though Isador enjoys walking around just as much as Shelly does, he will not be allowed out of his tank until he is big enough not to fit into some of his favorite hiding places (he gave us a big scare in the fall of 2007).