When thinking about tortoises, large, wise, tranquil creatures, wandering in pools of calm water come to mind–these gentle, beautiful herbivores seem unlikely pets for city-dwelling citizens. However, sophomore Alena Porter has grown up with a female, twenty-five year old African Leopard tortoise named Barney, along with a dog named Lizzy and two cats: Spunky and Leo. “My dad got her when she was just an egg about the size of a quarter, and now she’s about the size of a watermelon,” Porter said, “We keep her in a giant horse trough with heating pads under it, heating lamps over, and rabbit pellets on the ground. There’s also a wire mesh covering to keep out the cats.” “[She’s] a very easy pet to take care of…she can eat rabbit pellets, but her favorite food is tomatoes. We can give her leftover lettuce or greens, and she hasn’t ever been sick in my lifetime,” Porter said.

Despite her affection for Barney, Porter wishes she had a more active pet. “She doesn’t do much…it’s kind of awkward to hold her in your lap, and she isn’t as affectionate as a cat or dog might be,” Porter said. “[But] I love her, she’s awesome.” Porter enjoys making others squirm with her peculiar pet “It’s fun to have guests hold her, because she can be held but people are scared cause she’s kinda big and awkward. They’ll be like ‘No, no no…I can’t.’ It’s really funny.”