Tucked behind the pool tables and games on the first floor of the Davis Center, right next door to Greta the Catamount, is a little slice of Lake Champlain – a freshwater tank with three beautiful turtles. It’s rare to see the Davis Center turtle tank without a crowd around it trying to get a good look at the magnificent residents’ basking and swimming skills. For many, the turtles provide a moment of calm during busy days and tough class schedules.

For Kyle Warren, who has managed the Davis Center loading dock since the building opened in 2007 and serves as the turtles’ primary caretaker, interacting with them is surely the best part of his day. Having been here since the beginning, Kyle knows the history behind these little reptiles, and just how much work goes into keeping them happy and healthy. 

The tank originally was a saltwater fish tank gifted to the Davis Center from the UVM Class of 2007, which included funds for a technician to service it for 8-10 years. Unbeknownst to the Davis Center staff who would also help with the tank, it was a big task with constant upkeep. According to Warren, keeping a saltwater tank requires passion and money that ran out after eight years. Unfortunately, the tank technician passed away suddenly, so there was a hunt for a new technician or at least someone who could cover the job. Warren had been feeding the fish occasionally up to this point, and all duties fell to him. 

After the personnel change, the staff decided it was time to shift to freshwater in the tank to help with the costs and upkeep. With this, the Biotope was born. Because many students travel from out of state to attend UVM, the tank educates students about the inner workings of Lake Champlain right on campus. The wall behind the tank was built by students and faculty from the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources to give an overview of the Biotope. 

Working with Rubenstein, the staff crafted the perfect habitat using native plants and other materials straight from Lake Champlain. At this point, the staff knew they wanted to shift to turtles. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Game Wardens were happy to help find turtles for the tank. At first, they granted the building two large rescue turtles in need of a home. When one of them passed away, the staff knew they would need more to keep the remaining turtle company. In 2017, a Stowe resident found two painted box turtles and put them on Craigslist, where they were thankfully intercepted by the Fish and Wildlife service and given to the Davis Center. These turtles were injured and therefore could not return to the wild (or else they would not survive), making them the perfect inhabitants of the tank. The turtles’ names are Richard, a 13-year-old female; RDJ, a 4-year-old male with a special leg; and Big A, RDJ’s rescue brother. 

The three turtles quickly began to display their unique personalities, and Warren saw how happy they made the students. One of the turtles, the feisty Big A, was extremely aggressive towards the other two. Because he would constantly attack tankmates, Warren decided to put him in a time-out in a separate tank. After some time, Big A was returned to the tank - but his mischievous behavior continued. Warren then created the plexiglass barrier from an old COVID-19 protection wall, which has helped tremendously in keeping all three turtles safe. Even today, the little guy will attempt to dig under and around the barrier, so the staff has to pay close attention to his tricks. 

The Davis Center staff care about these animals like they are family, and they do a lot to keep them safe and happy. Some of these tasks include feeding, cleaning the shells and other areas of the tank, making sure the filters are working properly, and much more.

“These are students that are into it and that want to do it. They don’t do it for work-study or the money, they do it because they are really into it.” Warren says. Working as a team allows for quality care for the turtles rather than one person feeling burnt out over the upkeep. He noted that he’s had students come to him and ask to help with the tasks. 

When asked about his favorite part of caring for the turtles, Warren responded, “I like the break, you know? I never dreamt that reptiles would be like cats, like they recognize me. When I come up to the tank, they start getting all excited for food, and people ask, ‘Do they recognize you?’ and I’m like, yeah, look at them! They see the blue cup and they know.” 

The turtles are an important aspect of the Davis Center that help connect UVM’s campus to our local environment. Consider visiting the turtles next time you pass through the Davis Center - they’re (almost always) happy to make new friends!