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This article discusses fictional tortoise and turtles from mythology, literature, cinema, television, and video games.

Turtles and tortoises are frequently depicted in popular culture as easygoing, patient, and wise creatures, snapping turtles aside.^{[citation needed]} Due to their long lifespan, slow movement, sturdiness, and wrinkled appearance, they are an emblem of longevity and stability in many cultures around the world.^[1]^[2] Turtles are regularly incorporated into human culture, with painters, photographers, poets, songwriters, and sculptors using them as subjects.^[3] They have an important role in mythologies around the world,^[4] and are often implicated in creation myths regarding the origin of the Earth.^[5] Sea turtles are a charismatic megafauna and are used as symbols of the marine environment and environmentalism.^[3]

As a result of its role as a slow, peaceful creature in culture, the turtle can be misconceived as a sedentary animal; however, many types of turtle, especially sea turtles, frequently migrate over large distances in oceans.^[6]

In mythology, legend and folklore

A bas-relief from Angkor Wat, Cambodia, shows Samudra manthan-Vishnu in the center and his turtle avatar Kurma below.

Japanese Edo period depiction of a minogame.

The turtle has a prominent position as a symbol of steadfastness and tranquillity in religion, mythology, and folklore from around the world.^[6] A tortoise’s longevity is suggested by its long lifespan and its shell, which was thought to protect it from any foe.^[2] In the cosmological myths of several cultures a World Turtle carries the world upon its back or supports the heavens.^[5] The mytheme of a World-Tortoise, besides that of a world-bearing elephant, was discussed by comparatively by Edward Burnett Tylor (1878:341).

In ancient Mesopotamia, the turtle was associated with the god Ea and was used on kudurrus as a symbol of Ea.^[7] Ijapa the tortoise (alternatively called Alabahun), is a trickster, accomplishing heroic deeds or getting into trouble in a cycle of tales told by the Yoruba of Nigeria and Benin Republic (West Africa).^[5]

The World Turtle carries the Earth upon its back in myths of some Northeastern Woodlands tribes. In Cheyenne tradition, the great creator spirit Maheo kneads some mud he takes from a coot's beak until it expands so much that only Old Grandmother Turtle can support it on her back. In Mohawk tradition, the trembling or shaking of the Earth is thought of as a sign that the World Turtle is stretching beneath the great weight that she carries.^[5]

In a story from Admiralty Island, people are born from eggs laid by the World Turtle. There are many similar creation stories throughout Polynesia.^[5]

In Hindu mythology, one avatar of Vishnu is said to be the giant turtle Kurma. The Shatapatha Brahmana identifies the world as the body of Kurmaraja, the "king of tortoises", with the earth its lower shell, the atmosphere its body, and the vault of the heavens its upper shell. Akupara is a tortoise who carries the world on his back mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana.^{[page needed]}^[2] The Sanskrit epics also have references to the conception that the world rests on four elephants, who stand on the shell of a turtle^{[dubious – discuss]}. ^[8]

A bixi holding Kangxi Emperor's stele near Marco Polo Bridge in Beijing, China

In Chinese tradition the creator goddess Nu Gua cuts the legs off a sea turtle and uses them to prop up the sky after Gong Gong destroys the mountain that had supported the sky. The flat undershell and round domed upper shell of a turtle resembles the ancient Chinese idea of a flat earth and round domed sky.^[9] In China, the tortoise is one of the “Four Fabulous Animals”,^[2] the most prominent beasts of China. It is of the water element.^[10] The other animals are the unicorn, phoenix, and dragon. These animals govern the four points of the compass, with the Black Tortoise the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity.^[11] It is the only one of the four that is a real animal, although it is depicted with the supernatural features of dragon ears, flaming tentacles at its shoulders and hips, and a long hairy tail. The hairy tail is based on seaweed and the growth of plant parasites that are found on older tortoises’ shells, which flow behind the tortoise as it swims. The tortoise is a symbol of longevity, with a potential lifespan of ten thousand years.^[2] Due to its longevity, a symbol of a turtle was often used during burials. A burial mound might be shaped like a turtle, and even called a “grave turtle”. A carved turtle, known as bixi (Chinese: 赑屃) was used as a plinth for memorial tablets of high ranking officials during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE) and the Ming period (1368-1644 CE). Enormous turtles supported the memorial tablets of emperors.^[11]

In Feng shui the rear of the home is represented by the Black Tortoise, which signifies support for home, family life, and personal relationships. A tortoise at the back door of a house or in the backyard by a pond is said to attract good fortune and many blessings. Three tortoises stacked on top of each other represents a mother and her babies.^[10] In Daoist art, the tortoise is an emblem of the triad of earth-humankind-heaven.^[12]

Tortoise shells were used for divination in the ancient Shang Dynasty China, and carry the earliest specimens of Chinese writing.

In Japan, the turtle has developed a more independent tradition than the other three prominent beasts of China. It is known as minogame and is a symbol of longevity and felicity. The minogame is also depicted with a long feathery fan-like tail. A minogame has an important role in the well-known legend of Urashima Tarō. The tortoise is an attribute of Kompira, the deity of seafarers. It is a favored motif by netsuke-carvers and other artisans, and features in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies.^[2] There is also a well-known tortoise-shell artistic pattern, based on the nearly hexagonal shape of a tortoise’s shell. These patterns are usually composed of symmetrical hexagons, sometimes with smaller hexagons within them.^[13]

In Taiwanese villages, paste cakes of flour shaped like turtles are made for festivals that are held in honor of the lineage patron deity. People buy these cakes at their lineage temple and take them home to assure prosperity, harmony, and security for the following year.^[11]

Many legends of Vietnam connect closely to turtle. In Yao dynasty of China, a Vietnamese King's envoy offered a sacred turtle (Vietnamese: Thần Quy) which was carved Khoa Đẩu script on its carapace writing all things happening from the time Sky and Earth had just been born. Yao King ordered a person copied it and called it Turtle Calendar.

Another legend told that Kim Quy Deity (literally: Golden Turtle Deity) came into sight and crawled after An Dương Vương's pray. And follow the Deity's foot prints, An Dương Vương built Co Loa citadel in spiral model and got result. Furthermore, An Dương Vương was given present a Kim Quy Deity's claw to make the trigger (Vietnamese: lẫy), one part of the crossbow (Vietnamese: nỏ) named Linh Quang Kim Trảo Thần Nỏ which is the military secret of winning Zhao Tuo. Unfortunately, a wicked scheme of stealing the sacred crossbow through a political marriage made Vietnam lose its sovereignty for 1000 years hence.^{[citation needed]}

An 15th century- legend told that Lê Lợi returned his sacred sword named Thuận Thiên (literally: Heaven's Will) to Golden Turtle in Lục Thủy lake after he had won Ming's army. That is why Lục Thủy lake was renamed to Sword Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Gươm) or Returning Sword lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm). This action symbolizes to taking leave of weapons for peace.

Other notable examples include:

Br'er Turtle, or Br'er Tarrypin, is a fictional character from Uncle Remus's folk tales and Disney's controversial film adaptation about Br'er Rabbit
Genbu, from Japanese Mythology
The Tortoise form the fable, The Tortoise and the Hare

In fiction

The turtle has often been a humorous figure in literature, such as in Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss.^[14] In children’s literature, the turtle is often depicted as having a mixture of animal and human characteristics.^[14]^[15]

In Aesop's fable The Tortoise and the Hare, a tortoise defeats an overconfident hare in a race. In the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499), there is an engraving of a woman holding a turtle in one hand and a pair of outspread wings in the other. The turtle symbolizes stagnation and slowness, compared to the elevation of the spirit denoted by the wings.^[1]

There is a character called the Mock Turtle in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In the illustration by John Tenniel, the Mock Turtle is depicted as a turtle with the head, hooves, and tail of a calf; referencing the real ingredients of mock turtle soup.^[16]

Michael Ende's books Momo (1973) and The Neverending Story (1979) feature, respectively, the tortoise Cassiopeia, who can see into the future and display messages on her shell, and the giant, wise swamp turtle Morla. Some of his other works also feature turtles and tortoises. In the books by Terry Pratchett, the Discworld rests on the back of the gigantic star-turtle Great A'Tuin. In the Discworld novel Small Gods, the Great God Om manifests as a tortoise. Yertle the Turtle by children's author Dr. Seuss is a king turtle who orders all the other turtles in his pond, called Salamasond, to stack themselves beneath him so that he can look out across all his kingdom but he ends up falling into the mud.^[14]

In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck uses the tortoise as an emblem of the resolve and persistence of the "Okies" that travel west across the US for a better life.^[4]

In Stephen King's Dark Tower Series, the Turtle is a prominent figure. Named Maturin, the Turtle is one of the twelve guardians of the beams which hold up the Dark Tower. There is also a small carving of the turtle which is described as a 'tiny god'. A rhyme is recited by the characters, "See the TURTLE of enormous girth, on his shell he holds the Earth." This rhyme and the Turtle also show up in Stephen King's IT, where the Turtle represents the opposition to the terror that is IT.

Other notable examples include:

Gamera, a flying, fire-breathing turtle from the Daiei Motion Picture Company in Japan.
Great A'Tuin the World Turtle, carrying the four elephants which hold the Discworld, from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series
Mock Turtle is a character devised by Lewis Carroll from his popular book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Om who spends most of the Discworld novel Small Gods in the form of a tortoise
Pong Pagong, a character in the Filipino children's show Batibot
Tortoise, a character in "What the Tortoise Said to Achilles"
Yertle the Turtle is a picture book collection by Theodor Geisel

Duck and Cover was a six minute civil defense film that starred an animated character called Bert the Turtle. In “Tortoise Wins by a Hare” Bugs Bunny raced the slow moving Cecil Turtle in an Aesop’s Fables spoof.^[17]

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are comic book characters whose adventures have been adapted for TV and film. They are Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. They were created in 1984.^[18] They were a cultural phenomenon between 1988 and 1992, with their images ubiquitous in advertising, cinema, comics, magazines, music, newspapers, and television.^[19] Their action figures were top sellers around the world. In 1990, the cartoon series was shown on more than 125 television stations every day and the comic books sold 125,000 copies a month.^[18] Their origin – flushed down the toilet and ending up in the sewer system – echoed contemporary stories of small reptiles that were flushed down toilets growing into fierce animals in city sewers.^[19]

Turtles are also featured in the popular worldwide phenomenon Pokémon, with such creatures as Blastoise, Torkoal, Squirtle and Grotle.

Verne is a fictional turtle in the Over the Hedge merchendise. In the movie he is played by Gary Shandling. In the movie, Verne is shown as a tentative, cautious and neurotic turtle who considers himself the leader of a pack forest foragers. Verne calls his pack his "family"; Verne's family includes: Hammy the squirrel, Stella the skunk, Ozzie and Heather the opossums, Lou, Penny, Quillo, Spike and Bucky the porcupines. Verne is quite disturbed when he finds out that the humans settled over their forest while they were hibernating and misses his pristine forest a lot. Verne prefers to eat the primitive way, i.e. by foraging through the forest, unlike the other foragers who are led by RJ into the neighboring suburb to steal the humans' food. Verne is also particularly suspicious of RJ, because "his tail tingles everytime he gets near him (RJ)," which is supposed to indicate something wrong.

Although the foragers keep ignoring Verne's warnings about RJ, at one point even considering him to be jealous of RJ's cool antics, in the end they regret ignoring Verne after they figure out that Verne was right. RJ used the foragers to steal all the food for an angry bear (Vincent) and afterwards dumped the foragers, leaving them vulnerable to the traps of the hi-tech pest control specialist, the Verminator. However, later on RJ helps them escape from the Verminator's enclosures, and eventually saves them from Vincent, who hunted down the pest control van after RJ threw the wagon of food he gathered for the bear in front of the van in order to distract the Verminator and allow the foragers to escape from the enclosures inside the van. Near the end of the movie, Verne officially introduces RJ to the family, saying that "this (the primitive life) is the gateway to the good life"; RJ used the same phrase earlier in the movie when introducing the foragers to suburbia. In the comic strip, Verne has a girlfriend, first Velma and then Sheila the snail, and a cousin Plushie. However neither of those characters appear in the film.

Walt Kelly's Pogo featured a turtle named Churchy LeFemme, always afraid of Friday the 13th and usually wearing a pirate's hat.

Koopa Troopas (Japanese ノコノコ Nokonoko) are common, tortoise resembling, enemies in the Mario Series, usually displayed as footsoldiers under the direct leadership of Bowser. Since Super Mario 64, however many Koopas whom do not work for Bowser (or any other villain) have appeared, some of which even act as allies to Mario during his adventures. Koopa Troopas are turtle-like humanoids with shells that come in many different colors. Koopas, along with Goombas, are some of Mario's most persistent foes.

Other notable examples include:

Super-Turtle, a character in the DC Comics universe
The Millenium Tortoise, a character in Aqua Leung, from Image Comics.
Terrific Whatzit, a character in the DC Comics universe
Timmy-Joe Terrapin/Fastback, in Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew
Tim Turtle, a characters in the Lionel's Kingdom
Toby Turtle in Robin Hood (1973 film)
Toto, the main character of British childrens show Harry & Toto.
Turner, from Chucklewood Critters
Touché Turtle from the Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

References

^ ^a ^b Cirlot, Juan-Eduardo, trans. Sage, Jack, 2002, A Dictionary of Symbols, Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-42523-1.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Ball, Catherine, 2004, Animal Motifs in Asian Art, Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-43338-2.
^ ^a ^b Lutz, Peter L., Musick, John A., and Wyneken, Jeanette, 2002, The Biology of Sea Turtles, CRC Press, ISBN 0-849-31123-3.
^ ^a ^b Garfield, Eugene, 1986, The Turtle: A Most Ancient Mystery. Part 1. Its Role in Art, Literature, and Mythology, Towards Scientography: 9 (Essays of An Information Scientist), Isis Press, ISBN 0-894-95081-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Stookey, Lorena Laura, 2004, Thematic Guide to World Mythology, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-31505-1.
^ ^a ^b Plotkin, Pamela, T., 2007, Biology and Conservation of Ridley Sea Turtles, Johns Hopkins University, ISBN 0-801-88611-2.
^ Green, Anthony and Black, Jeremy, 1992, Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary, University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-70794-0.
^ M. Monier-Williams, Indian Wisdom, p. 432
^ Allan, Sarah, 1991, The Shape of the Turtle: Myth, Art, and Cosmos in Early China, SUNY Press, ISBN 0-791-40459-5.
^ ^a ^b Moran, Elizabeth, Biktashev, Val and Yu, Joseph, 2002, Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui, Alpha Books, ISBN 0-028-64339-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c Simoons, Frederick J., 1991, Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, CRC Press, ISBN 0-849-38804-X.
^ Tresidder, Jack, 2005, The Complete Dictionary of Symbols, Chronicle Books, ISBN 0-811-84767-5.
^ Niwa, Motoji, 2001, trans, Thomas, Jay W., Snow, Wave, Pine: Traditional Patterns in Japanese Design, ISBN 4-770-02689-7.
^ ^a ^b ^c Smith-Marder, Paula, The Turtle and the Psyche, Journal of Psychological Perspectives, December 2006, 49, 2, p. 228-248, DOI: 10.1080/00332920600998262.
^ Goldstein, Jeffrey H., 1994, Toys, Play, and Child Development, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-45564-2.
^ Reichertz, Ronald, 1997, The Making of the Alice Books, McGill-Queen’s Press, ISBN 0-773-52081-3.
^ Lenburg, Jeff, 2006, Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television, Hal Leonard, ISBN 1-557-83671-X.
^ ^a ^b Long, Mark A., 2002, Bad Fads, ECW Press, ISBN 1-550-22491-3.
^ ^a ^b Jones, Dudley, and Watkins, Tony, 2000, A Necessary Fantasy?: The Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture, Routledge, ISBN 0-815-31844-8.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+This article discusses  '''fictional [[tortoise]] and [[turtle]]s''' from [[mythology]], [[literature]], [[Film|cinema]], television, and video games.
-[[Image:The Tortoise and the Hare - Project Gutenberg etext 19994.jpg|thumb|The Tortoise and the Hare, illustrated by [[Milo Winter]] in a 1919 Aesop anthology.]]
-'''Turtles and tortoises''' are frequently depicted in popular culture as easygoing, patient, and wise creatures, [[Chelydridae|snapping turtles]]  aside.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}  Due to their long lifespan, slow movement, sturdiness, and wrinkled appearance, they are an emblem of [[longevity]] and stability in many cultures around the world.<ref name=Cirlot>Cirlot, Juan-Eduardo, trans. Sage, Jack, 2002, ''A Dictionary of Symbols'', Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-42523-1.</ref><ref name=Ball>Ball, Catherine, 2004, ''Animal Motifs in Asian Art'', Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-43338-2.</ref> Turtles are regularly incorporated into human culture, with painters, photographers, poets, songwriters, and sculptors using them as subjects.<ref name=Lutz>Lutz, Peter L., Musick, John A., and Wyneken, Jeanette, 2002, ''The Biology of Sea Turtles'', CRC Press, ISBN 0-849-31123-3.</ref> They have an important role in mythologies around the world,<ref name=Garfield>Garfield, Eugene, 1986, The Turtle: A Most Ancient Mystery. Part 1. Its Role in Art, Literature, and Mythology, ''Towards Scientography: 9 (Essays of An Information Scientist)'', Isis Press, ISBN 0-894-95081-9.</ref> and are often implicated in [[creation myth]]s regarding the origin of the Earth.<ref name=Stookey>Stookey, Lorena Laura, 2004, ''Thematic Guide to World Mythology'', Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-31505-1.</ref> [[Sea turtle]]s are a [[charismatic megafauna]] and are used as symbols of the marine environment and environmentalism.<ref name=Lutz/>
+'''Turtles and tortoises''' are frequently depicted in popular culture as easygoing, patient, and wise creatures, [[Chelydridae|snapping turtles]]  aside.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}  Due to their long lifespan, slow movement, sturdiness, and wrinkled appearance, they are an emblem of longevity and stability in many cultures around the world.<ref name=Cirlot>Cirlot, Juan-Eduardo, trans. Sage, Jack, 2002, ''A Dictionary of Symbols'', Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-42523-1.</ref><ref name=Ball>Ball, Catherine, 2004, ''Animal Motifs in Asian Art'', Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-43338-2.</ref> Turtles are regularly incorporated into human culture, with painters, photographers, poets, songwriters, and sculptors using them as subjects.<ref name=Lutz>Lutz, Peter L., Musick, John A., and Wyneken, Jeanette, 2002, ''The Biology of Sea Turtles'', CRC Press, ISBN 0-849-31123-3.</ref> They have an important role in mythologies around the world,<ref name=Garfield>Garfield, Eugene, 1986, The Turtle: A Most Ancient Mystery. Part 1. Its Role in Art, Literature, and Mythology, ''Towards Scientography: 9 (Essays of An Information Scientist)'', Isis Press, ISBN 0-894-95081-9.</ref> and are often implicated in [[creation myth]]s regarding the origin of the Earth.<ref name=Stookey>Stookey, Lorena Laura, 2004, ''Thematic Guide to World Mythology'', Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-31505-1.</ref> [[Sea turtle]]s are a [[charismatic megafauna]] and are used as symbols of the marine environment and environmentalism.<ref name=Lutz/>
 As a result of its role as a slow, peaceful creature in culture, the turtle can be misconceived as a sedentary animal; however, many types of turtle, especially sea turtles, frequently migrate over large distances in oceans.<ref name=Plotkin>Plotkin, Pamela, T., 2007, ''Biology and Conservation of Ridley Sea Turtles'', Johns Hopkins University, ISBN 0-801-88611-2.</ref>
-==In Mythology, Legends and Folklore ==
+==In mythology, legend and folklore ==
-[[Image:Awatoceanofmilk01.JPG|thumb|upright|A bas-relief from [[Angkor Wat]], Cambodia, shows [[Samudra manthan]]-Vishnu in the center and his turtle [[avatar]] [[Kurma]] below]]
+[[Image:Awatoceanofmilk01.JPG|right|thumb|200px|A bas-relief from [[Angkor Wat]], Cambodia, shows [[Samudra manthan]]-Vishnu in the center and his turtle [[avatar]] [[Kurma]] below.]]
+[[Image:Edobambooscroll01.jpg|thumb|200px|Japanese [[Edo period]] depiction of a minogame.]]
-The turtle has a prominent position as a symbol of steadfastness and tranquillity in religion, mythology, and folklore from around the world.<ref name=Plotkin/> A tortoise’s longevity is suggested by its long lifespan and its shell, which was thought to protect it from any foe.<ref name=Ball/> In the [[creation myth]]s of several cultures, the turtle or tortoise carries the world upon its back or supports the heavens.<ref name=Stookey/>
+[[Image:EOS 6341 raw.jpg|thumb|180px|right|The stone turtle carries stela on its back [[Văn Miếu]] in [[Hanoi]], [[Vietnam]].]]
+The turtle has a prominent position as a symbol of steadfastness and tranquillity in religion, mythology, and folklore from around the world.<ref name=Plotkin/> A tortoise’s longevity is suggested by its long lifespan and its shell, which was thought to protect it from any foe.<ref name=Ball/>
-In Chinese tradition the creator goddess [[Nüwa|Nu Gua]] cuts the legs off a sea turtle and uses them to prop up the sky after [[Gong Gong]] destroys the mountain that had supported the sky. The flat undershell and round domed upper shell of a turtle resembles the ancient Chinese idea of a flat earth and round domed sky.<ref name=Allan>Allan, Sarah, 1991, ''The Shape of the Turtle: Myth, Art, and Cosmos in Early China'', SUNY Press, ISBN 0-791-40459-5.</ref>
+In the [[cosmological myth]]s of several cultures a ''[[World Turtle]]''  carries the world upon its back or supports the heavens.<ref name=Stookey/> The mytheme of a ''World-Tortoise'', besides that of a world-bearing elephant, was discussed by [[comparative mythology|comparatively]] by [[Edward Burnett Tylor]] (1878:341).
+In ancient [[Mesopotamia]], the turtle was associated with the god [[Enki|Ea]] and was used on [[kudurru]]s as a symbol of Ea.<ref name=Green>Green, Anthony and Black, Jeremy, 1992, ''Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary'', University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-70794-0.</ref> Ijapa the tortoise (alternatively called Alabahun), is a [[trickster]], accomplishing heroic deeds or getting into trouble in a cycle of tales told by the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] of Nigeria and Benin Republic (West Africa).<ref name=Stookey/>
-The World Turtle carries the Earth upon its back in myths from [[North America]]. In [[Cheyenne]] tradition, the great creator spirit Maheo kneads some mud he takes from a [[coot|coot's]] beak until it expands so much that only Old Grandmother Turtle can support it on her back. In [[Mohawk nation|Mohawk]] tradition, the trembling or shaking of the Earth is thought of as a sign that the World Turtle is stretching beneath the great weight that she carries.<ref name=Stookey/>
+The World Turtle carries the Earth upon its back in myths of  some [[Northeastern Woodlands tribes]]. In [[Cheyenne]] tradition, the great creator spirit Maheo kneads some mud he takes from a [[coot|coot's]] beak until it expands so much that only Old Grandmother Turtle can support it on her back. In [[Mohawk nation|Mohawk]] tradition, the trembling or shaking of the Earth is thought of as a sign that the World Turtle is stretching beneath the great weight that she carries.<ref name=Stookey/>
-[[Image:Edobambooscroll01.jpg|thumb|upright|Japanese [[Edo period]] depiction of a ''minogame'']]
 In a story from [[Admiralty Island]], people are born from eggs laid by the World Turtle. There are many similar creation stories throughout [[Polynesia]].<ref name=Stookey/>
+{{see|World-Tortoise (Hindu)}}
-Turtles and tortoises are incorporated into many religious traditions and mythologies around the world.<ref name=Garfield/> In ancient [[Mesopotamia]], the turtle was associated with the god [[Enki|Ea]] and was used on [[kudurru]]s as a symbol of Ea.<ref name=Green>Green, Anthony and Black, Jeremy, 1992, ''Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary'', University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-70794-0.</ref> Ijapa the tortoise is a [[trickster]] in a cycle of tales told by the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] of Africa.<ref name=Stookey/>
+In [[Hindu mythology]], one [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]] is said to be the giant turtle [[Kurma]]. The [[Shatapatha Brahmana]] identifies the world as the body of Kurmaraja, the "king of tortoises", with the earth its lower shell, the atmosphere its body, and the vault of the heavens its upper shell.
+[[Akupara]] is a [[tortoise]] who carries the world on his back mentioned in the [[Bhagavata Purana]].{{page number}}<ref name=Ball/>
+The [[Sanskrit epics]] also have references to the conception that the world rests on [[Maha-pudma|four elephants]], who stand on the shell of a turtle{{Dubious|date=October 2009}}.
+<ref>[[M. Monier-Williams]], ''Indian Wisdom'', p. 432</ref>
+[[Image:Kangxi-Lugou-rebuilding-stele-3581.jpg|thumb|left|A [[bixi]] holding [[Kangxi Emperor]]'s [[stele]] near [[Lugou Bridge|Marco Polo Bridge]] in [[Beijing]], [[China]]]]
-In Hindu mythology the world is thought to rest on the backs of four elephants, who stand on the shell of a turtle.<ref name=Cobb>Cobb, Kelton, 2005, ''The Blackwell Guide to Theology and Popular Culture'', Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 1-405-10698-0.</ref> In [[Hinduism]], [[Akupara]] is a [[tortoise]] who carries the world on his back. It upholds the Earth and the sea.<ref name=Ball/> One [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]] is said to be the giant turtle [[Kurma]]. The [[Sri Kurmam]] Temple in [[Andhra Pradesh]], India is dedicated to the Kurma-avatar.
+In Chinese tradition the creator goddess [[Nüwa|Nu Gua]] cuts the legs off a sea turtle and uses them to prop up the sky after [[Gong Gong]] destroys the mountain that had supported the sky. The flat undershell and round domed upper shell of a turtle resembles the ancient Chinese idea of a flat earth and round domed sky.<ref name=Allan>Allan, Sarah, 1991, ''The Shape of the Turtle: Myth, Art, and Cosmos in Early China'', SUNY Press, ISBN 0-791-40459-5.</ref>
+In [[China]], the tortoise is one of the “[[Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)|Four Fabulous Animals]]”,<ref name=Ball/> the most prominent beasts of China. It is of the water element.<ref name=Moran>Moran, Elizabeth, Biktashev, Val and Yu, Joseph, 2002, ''Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui'', Alpha Books, ISBN 0-028-64339-9.</ref> The other animals are the [[unicorn]], [[Phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]], and [[dragon]]. These animals govern the four points of the compass, with the [[Black Tortoise]] the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity.<ref name=Simoons>Simoons, Frederick J., 1991, '' Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry'', CRC Press, ISBN 0-849-38804-X.</ref> It is the only one of the four that is a real animal, although it is depicted with the supernatural features of dragon ears, flaming tentacles at its shoulders and hips, and a long hairy tail.  The hairy tail is based on seaweed and the growth of plant parasites that are found on older tortoises’ shells, which flow behind the tortoise as it swims. The tortoise is a symbol of longevity, with a potential lifespan of ten thousand years.<ref name=Ball/> Due to its longevity, a symbol of a turtle was often used during burials. A burial mound might be shaped like a turtle, and even called a “grave turtle”. A carved turtle, known as ''[[bixi]]'' ({{zh|c=[[:zh:赑屃|赑屃]]}}) was used as a plinth for memorial tablets of high ranking officials during the [[Sui Dynasty]] (581-618 CE) and the [[Ming Dynasty|Ming]] period (1368-1644 CE). Enormous turtles supported the memorial tablets of [[emperor of China|emperors]].<ref name=Simoons/>
-In [[China]], the tortoise is one of the “[[Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)|Four Fabulous Animals]]”,<ref name=Ball/> the most prominent beasts of China. It is of the water element.<ref name=Moran>Moran, Elizabeth, Biktashev, Val and Yu, Joseph, 2002, ''Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui'', Alpha Books, ISBN 0-028-64339-9.</ref> The other animals are the [[tiger]], [[fenghuang|phoenix]], and [[Chinese dragon|dragon]]. These animals govern the four points of the compass, with the [[Black Tortoise]] the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity.<ref name=Simoons>Simoons, Frederick J., 1991, '' Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry'', CRC Press, ISBN 0-849-38804-X.</ref> It is the only one of the four that is a real animal, although it is depicted with the supernatural features of dragon ears, flaming tentacles at its shoulders and hips, and a long hairy tail.  The hairy tail is based on seaweed and the growth of plant parasites that are found on older tortoises’ shells, which flow behind the tortoise as it swims. The tortoise is a symbol of longevity, with a potential lifespan of ten thousand years.<ref name=Ball/> Due to its longevity, a symbol of a turtle was often used during burials. A burial mound might be shaped like a turtle, and even called a “grave turtle”. A carved turtle, known as ''[[bixi (tortoise)|bixi]]'' was used as a plinth for memorial tablets of high ranking officials during the [[Sui Dynasty]] (581-618 CE) and the [[Ming Dynasty|Ming]] period (1368-1644 CE). Enormous turtles supported the memorial tablets of [[emperor of China|emperors]].<ref name=Simoons/>
-[[Image:Kangxi-Lugou-rebuilding-stele-3581.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[bixi (tortoise)|bixi]] holding [[Kangxi Emperor]]'s [[stele]] near [[Lugou Bridge|Marco Polo Bridge]] in [[Beijing]], [[China]]]]
-[[Image:EOS 6341 raw.jpg|thumb|upright|The stone turtle carries stela on its back [[Văn Miếu]] in [[Hanoi]], [[Vietnam]]]]
-[[Image:Turtle-Karakorum.jpg|right|thumb|Stone Turtle of [[Karakorum]].]]
 In [[Feng shui]] the rear of the home is represented by the Black Tortoise, which signifies support for home, family life, and personal relationships. A tortoise at the back door of a house or in the backyard by a pond is said to attract good fortune and many blessings. Three tortoises stacked on top of each other represents a mother and her babies.<ref name=Moran/> In [[Taoism|Daoist]] art,  the tortoise is an emblem of the triad of earth-humankind-heaven.<ref name=Tresidder>Tresidder, Jack, 2005, ''The Complete Dictionary of Symbols'', Chronicle Books, ISBN 0-811-84767-5.</ref>
 Tortoise shells were [[Oracle bone|used for divination]] in the ancient [[Shang Dynasty]] China, and carry the [[Oracle bone script|earliest specimens]] of Chinese writing.
+In [[Japan]], the turtle has developed a more independent tradition than the other three prominent beasts of China. It is known as ''minogame'' and is a symbol of longevity and felicity. The ''minogame'' is also depicted with a long feathery fan-like tail. A ''minogame'' has an important role in the well-known legend of ''[[Urashima Tarō]]''. The tortoise is an attribute of Kompira, the deity of seafarers. It is a favored motif by [[netsuke]]-carvers and other [[artisan]]s, and features in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies.<ref name=Ball/> There is also a well-known tortoise-shell artistic pattern, based on the nearly hexagonal shape of a tortoise’s shell. These patterns are usually composed of symmetrical hexagons, sometimes with smaller hexagons within them.<ref name=Niwa>Niwa, Motoji, 2001, trans, Thomas, Jay W., ''Snow, Wave, Pine: Traditional Patterns in Japanese Design'', ISBN 4-770-02689-7.</ref>
 In Taiwanese villages, paste cakes of flour shaped like turtles are made for festivals that are held in honor of the lineage patron deity. People buy these cakes at their lineage temple and take them home to assure prosperity, harmony, and security for the following year.<ref name=Simoons/>
-In [[Japan]], the turtle has developed a more independent tradition than the other three prominent beasts of China. In particular the {{nihongo||蓑亀|minogame}}, which is so old it has a train of seaweed growing on its back, is a symbol of longevity and felicity. A ''minogame'' has an important role in the well-known legend of ''[[Urashima Tarō]]''. The tortoise is an attribute of Kompira, the deity of seafarers. It is a favored motif by [[netsuke]]-carvers and other [[artisan]]s, and features in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies.<ref name=Ball/> There is also a well-known tortoise-shell artistic pattern, based on the nearly hexagonal shape of a tortoise’s shell. These patterns are usually composed of symmetrical hexagons, sometimes with smaller hexagons within them.<ref name=Niwa>Niwa, Motoji, 2001, trans, Thomas, Jay W., ''Snow, Wave, Pine: Traditional Patterns in Japanese Design'', ISBN 4-770-02689-7.</ref>
 Many legends of [[Vietnam]] connect closely to turtle. In [[Yao]] dynasty of [[China]], a Vietnamese King's envoy offered a sacred turtle (Vietnamese: ''Thần Quy'') which was carved ''Khoa Đẩu'' script on its carapace writing all things happening from the time Sky and Earth had just been born. Yao King ordered a person copied it and called it Turtle Calendar.
@@ Line 38: / Line 44: @@
 An 15th century- legend told that [[Lê Lợi]] returned his sacred sword named ''Thuận Thiên'' (literally: [[Heaven's Will]]) to [[Rafetus swinhoei|Golden Turtle]] in ''Lục Thủy'' lake after he had won [[Ming Dynasty|Ming]]'s army. That is why ''Lục Thủy'' lake was renamed to Sword Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Gươm) or Returning Sword lake (Vietnamese: [[Hoan Kiem lake|Hồ Hoàn Kiếm]]). This action symbolizes to taking leave of weapons for peace.
+Other notable examples include:
-[[Image:Brer Fox tackles Brer Tarrypin, 1881.jpg|thumb|right|upright|"Br'er Fox Tackles Br'er Tarrypin", from ''Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings: The Folk-Lore of the Old Plantation'']]
-'''Br'er Turtle''', or '''Br'er Tarrypin''', is a fictional character from [[Uncle Remus|Uncle Remus's]] folk tales and Disney's controversial [[Song of the South|film adaptation]] about [[Br'er Rabbit]]. He is the neighbor of Br'er Rabbit, and is often hunted by [[Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear]]; though the duo tend to focus more on hunting Br'er Rabbit.
+* [[Br'er Turtle]], or Br'er Tarrypin, is a fictional character from [[Uncle Remus|Uncle Remus's]] folk tales and Disney's controversial [[Song of the South|film adaptation]] about [[Br'er Rabbit]]
+* [[Genbu]], from [[Japanese Mythology]]
+* The Tortoise form the fable, ''[[The Tortoise and the Hare]]''
 == In fiction ==
+[[Image:Alice par John Tenniel 34.png|thumb|right|250px|The Mock Turtle from ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'']]
-{{Cleanup|date=September 2009}}
 The turtle has often been a humorous figure in literature, such as in [[Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories|Yertle the Turtle]] by [[Dr. Seuss]].<ref name=Marder>Smith-Marder, Paula, The Turtle and the Psyche, ''Journal of Psychological Perspectives'', December 2006, '''49''', 2, p. 228-248, DOI: 10.1080/00332920600998262.</ref> In children’s literature, the turtle is often depicted as having a mixture of animal and human characteristics.<ref name=Marder/><ref name=Goldstein>Goldstein, Jeffrey H., 1994, ''Toys, Play, and Child Development'', Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-45564-2.</ref>
 In [[Aesop]]'s fable [[The Tortoise and the Hare]], a tortoise defeats an overconfident hare in a race. In the ''[[Hypnerotomachia Poliphili]]'' (1499), there is an engraving of a woman holding a turtle in one hand and a pair of outspread wings in the other. The turtle symbolizes stagnation and slowness, compared to the elevation of the spirit denoted by the wings.<ref name=Cirlot/>
-[[Image:Alice par John Tenniel 34.png|thumb|The Mock Turtle from ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'']]
 There is a character called the [[Mock Turtle]] in [[Lewis Carroll]]'s ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]''. In the illustration by [[John Tenniel]], the Mock Turtle is depicted as a turtle with the head, hooves, and tail of a calf; referencing the real ingredients of [[mock turtle soup]].<ref name=Reichertz>Reichertz, Ronald, 1997, ''The Making of the Alice Books'', McGill-Queen’s Press, ISBN 0-773-52081-3.</ref>
+[[Michael Ende]]'s books ''[[Momo (novel)|Momo]]'' ([[1973 in literature|1973]]) and ''[[The Neverending Story]]'' ([[1979 in literature|1979]]) feature, respectively, the tortoise ''Cassiopeia'', who can see into the future and display messages on her shell, and the giant, wise swamp turtle ''Morla''. Some of his other works also feature turtles and tortoises. In the books by [[Terry Pratchett]], the [[Discworld (world)|Discworld]] rests on the back of the gigantic star-turtle [[Discworld (world)#Great A'Tuin, the star turtle|Great A'Tuin]]. In the [[Discworld]] novel ''[[Small Gods (novel)|Small Gods]]'', the [[Great God Om]]  manifests as a tortoise. [[Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories#“Yertle the Turtle”|Yertle the Turtle]] by children's author [[Dr. Seuss]] is a king turtle who orders all the other turtles in his pond, called Salamasond, to stack themselves beneath him so that he can look out across all his kingdom but he ends up falling into the mud.<ref name=Marder/>
-In the childrens story, [[Esio Trot]] by [[Roald Dahl]], a character named Mrs. Silver has a small pet tortoise, Alfie, who she loves very much. One morning, Mrs. Silver mentions to Mr. Hoppy that even though she has had Alfie for many years, her pet has only grown a tiny bit and has gained only 3 ounces in weight. She confesses that she wishes she knew of some way to make her little Alfie grown into a larger, more dignified tortoise. Mr. Hoppy suddenly thinks of a way to give Mrs. Silver her wish and (he hopes) win her affection. He eventually begins swapping the tortoise for bigger and bigger ones, with the illusion of using magic.
-[[Michael Ende]]'s books ''[[Momo (novel)|Momo]]'' ([[1973 in literature|1973]]) and ''[[The Neverending Story]]'' ([[1979 in literature|1979]]) feature, respectively, the tortoise ''Cassiopeia'', who can see into the future and display messages on her shell, and the giant, wise swamp turtle ''Morla''. Some of his other works also feature turtles and tortoises.
-In the books by [[Terry Pratchett]], the [[Discworld (world)|Discworld]] rests on the back of the gigantic star-turtle [[Discworld (world)#Great A'Tuin, the star turtle|Great A'Tuin]]. In the [[Discworld]] novel ''[[Small Gods (novel)|Small Gods]]'', the [[Great God Om]]  manifests as a tortoise. [[Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories#“Yertle the Turtle”|Yertle the Turtle]] by children's author [[Dr. Seuss]] is a king turtle who orders all the other turtles in his pond, called Salamasond, to stack themselves beneath him so that he can look out across all his kingdom but he ends up falling into the mud.<ref name=Marder/>
 In ''[[The Grapes of Wrath]]'', [[John Steinbeck]] uses the tortoise as an emblem of the resolve and persistence of the "Okies" that travel west across the US for a better life.<ref name=Garfield/>
-In Stephen King's Dark Tower Series, the turtle is a prominent figure. Named Maturin, the turtle is one of the 12 guardians of the beams which hold up the dark tower. There is also a small carving of the turtle which is described as a 'tiny god'. A rhyme is recited by the characters, "See the TURTLE of enormous girth, on his shell he holds the earth." This rhyme and the turtle also show up in Stephen King's "It", where the turtle represents the opposition to the terror that is It.
+In Stephen King's Dark Tower Series, the Turtle is a prominent figure. Named Maturin, the Turtle is one of the twelve guardians of the beams which hold up the Dark Tower. There is also a small carving of the turtle which is described as a 'tiny god'. A rhyme is recited by the characters, "See the TURTLE of enormous girth, on his shell he holds the Earth." This rhyme and the Turtle also show up in ''Stephen King's IT,'' where the Turtle represents the opposition to the terror that is IT.
-Great A'Tuin is the [[fiction]]al giant star [[turtle]] in the [[Discworld]] universe, who travels through [[outer space|space]], carrying the four giant [[elephant]]s (named Berilia, Tubul, Great T'Phon, and Jerakeen) who in turn carry the Discworld. A member of the [[species]] ''Chelys galactica'', A'Tuin is the only turtle to ever feature on the [[Hertzsprung-Russell diagram]]. Its shell is frosted with frozen methane, pitted with meteor craters, and scoured with asteroidal dust.
-Great A'Tuin's [[sex]] is unknown, but is the subject of much speculation by some of the Disc's finest scientific minds - in an analogy to [[astrophysics|astrophysicists]], specialists in this field are called ''astrochelonians''.The sex of The World Turtle is pivotal in proving or disproving a number of conflicting theories about the destination of "Great A'Tuin's" journey through the [[cosmos]]. If (as one popular theory states) "Great A'Tuin" is moving to his (or her) mating grounds, then at the point of mating might the [[civilisation]]s of the Disc be crushed or simply slide off? Attempts by [[telepathy|telepaths]] to learn more about Great A'Tuin's intents have not met with much success, mainly because they did not realise that its brain functions on such a slow timescale.
-Following the events in ''[[The Light Fantastic]]'', Great A'Tuin attended the hatching of eight baby turtles, each with four baby elephants and a tiny Discworld of their own. They have since gone off on their own journeys.
-The gender of the Turtle is something of a mystery to the inhabitants of the disc, being not able to peer underneath the turtle themselves. This leads to some great debate and argument as to what position the turtle would assume should there be another cosmic ''[[big bang]]''.
 Other notable examples include:
+* [[Gamera]], a flying, fire-breathing turtle from the [[Daiei Motion Picture Company]] in [[Japan]].
+* [[Great A'Tuin]] the World Turtle, carrying the four elephants which hold the [[Discworld (world)|Discworld]], from Terry Pratchett's [[Discworld]] series
 * [[Mock Turtle]] is a character devised by [[Lewis Carroll]] from his popular book ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]''
 * [[Om (Discworld)|Om]] who spends most of the [[Discworld]] novel [[Small Gods]] in the form of a tortoise
@@ Line 77: / Line 72: @@
 * ''[[Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories|Yertle the Turtle]]'' is a picture book collection by [[Dr. Seuss|Theodor Geisel]]
-[[Image:DuckandCover.jpg|thumb|Bert the turtle]]
+[[Image:DuckandCover.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Bert the turtle]]
 ''[[Duck and Cover (film)|Duck and Cover]]'' was a six minute [[civil defense]] film that starred an animated character called Bert the Turtle. In “[[Tortoise Wins by a Hare]]” [[Bugs Bunny]] raced the slow moving [[Cecil Turtle]] in an Aesop’s Fables spoof.<ref name=Lenburg>Lenburg, Jeff, 2006, ''Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television'', Hal Leonard, ISBN 1-557-83671-X.</ref>
-The [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]] are [[comic book]] characters whose adventures have been adapted for TV and film.  They are [[Leonardo (TMNT)|Leonardo]], [[Raphael (TMNT)|Raphael]], [[Donatello (TMNT)|Donatello]], and [[Michelangelo (TMNT)|Michelangelo]]. They were created in 1983.<ref name=Long>Long, Mark A., 2002, ''Bad Fads'', ECW Press, ISBN 1-550-22491-3.</ref> They were a cultural phenomenon between 1988 and 1992, with their images ubiquitous in advertising, cinema, comics, magazines, music, newspapers, and television.<ref name=Jones>Jones, Dudley, and Watkins, Tony, 2000, ''A Necessary Fantasy?: The Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture'', Routledge, ISBN 0-815-31844-8.</ref> Their action figures were top sellers around the world. In 1990, the cartoon series was shown on more than 125 television stations every day and the comic books sold 125,000 copies a month.<ref name=Long/> Their origin – flushed down the toilet and ending up in the sewer system – echoed contemporary stories of small reptiles that were flushed down toilets growing into fierce animals in city sewers.<ref name=Jones/>
-[[Image:Tmnt 7.jpg|thumb|The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Clockwise from top: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael]]
+The [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]] are [[comic book]] characters whose adventures have been adapted for TV and film.  They are [[Leonardo (TMNT)|Leonardo]], [[Raphael (TMNT)|Raphael]], [[Donatello (TMNT)|Donatello]], and [[Michelangelo (TMNT)|Michelangelo]]. They were created in 1984.<ref name=Long>Long, Mark A., 2002, ''Bad Fads'', ECW Press, ISBN 1-550-22491-3.</ref> They were a cultural phenomenon between 1988 and 1992, with their images ubiquitous in advertising, cinema, comics, magazines, music, newspapers, and television.<ref name=Jones>Jones, Dudley, and Watkins, Tony, 2000, ''A Necessary Fantasy?: The Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture'', Routledge, ISBN 0-815-31844-8.</ref> Their action figures were top sellers around the world. In 1990, the cartoon series was shown on more than 125 television stations every day and the comic books sold 125,000 copies a month.<ref name=Long/> Their origin – flushed down the toilet and ending up in the sewer system – echoed contemporary stories of small reptiles that were flushed down toilets growing into fierce animals in city sewers.<ref name=Jones/>
-Turtles are also featured in the popular worldwide phenomenon [[Pokémon]], with creatures such as Blastoise, Torkoal, Squirtle, Turtwig, and Grotle.
+Turtles are also featured in the popular worldwide phenomenon Pokémon, with such creatures as Blastoise, Torkoal, Squirtle and Grotle.
-Pong Pagong was a character in the Filipino children's show ''[[Batibot]]''. Pong was in the form of a turtle standing on its hindlegs. Like Big Bird of ''[[Sesame Street]]'', Pong was an enlarged small-animal character, standing over six feet tall and towering over human co-stars and aged to be around six years old.
+Verne is a fictional [[turtle]] in the [[Over the Hedge]] merchendise. In the movie he is played by [[Gary Shandling]].
-Together with ''Batibot'''s other equally popular [[muppet]], Kiko Matsing, Pong entertained and taught children. In [[1994]] both characters were pulled out from the show by the [[Children's Television Workshop]] because of licensing issues.
+In the movie, Verne is shown as a tentative, cautious and neurotic turtle who considers himself the leader of a pack forest foragers. Verne calls his pack his "family"; Verne's family includes: Hammy the squirrel, Stella the skunk, Ozzie and Heather the opossums, Lou, Penny, Quillo, Spike and Bucky the porcupines. Verne is quite disturbed when he finds out that the humans settled over their forest while they were hibernating and misses his pristine forest a lot. Verne prefers to eat the primitive way, i.e. by foraging through the forest, unlike the other foragers who are led by RJ into the neighboring suburb to steal the humans' food. Verne is also particularly suspicious of RJ, because "his tail tingles everytime he gets near him (RJ)," which is supposed to indicate something wrong.
+Although the foragers keep ignoring Verne's warnings about RJ, at one point even considering him to be jealous of RJ's cool antics, in the end they regret ignoring Verne after they figure out that Verne was right. RJ used the foragers to steal all the food for an angry bear (Vincent) and afterwards dumped the foragers, leaving them vulnerable to the traps of the hi-tech pest control specialist, the  Verminator. However, later on RJ helps them escape from the Verminator's enclosures, and eventually saves them from Vincent, who hunted down the pest control van after RJ threw the wagon of food he gathered for the bear in front of the van in order to distract the Verminator and allow the foragers to escape from the enclosures inside the van. Near the end of the movie, Verne officially introduces RJ to the family, saying that "this (the primitive life) is the gateway to the good life"; RJ used the same phrase earlier in the movie when introducing the foragers to suburbia.
-Verne is a fictional [[turtle]] in the [[Over the Hedge]] merchandise. In the [[movie]] he is played by [[Gary Shandling]]. In the movie, Verne is shown as a tentative, cautious and neurotic turtle who considers himself the leader of a pack forest foragers. Verne calls his pack his "family"; Verne's family includes: Hammy the [[squirrel]], Stella the [[skunk]], Ozzie and Heather the [[opossums]], Lou, Penny, Quillo, Spike and Bucky the [[porcupines]]. Verne is quite disturbed when he finds out that the humans settled over their [[forest]] while they were [[hibernating]] and misses his pristine forest a lot. Verne prefers to eat the primitive way, i.e. by foraging through the forest, unlike the other foragers who are led by RJ into the neighboring suburb to steal the humans' food. Verne is also particularly suspicious of RJ, because "his tail tingles everytime he gets near him (RJ)," which is supposed to indicate something wrong.
+In the comic strip, Verne has a girlfriend, first Velma and then Sheila the snail, and a cousin Plushie. However neither of those characters appear in the film.
-Although the foragers keep ignoring Verne's warnings about RJ, at one point even considering him to be jealous of RJ's cool antics, in the end they regret ignoring Verne after they figure out that Verne was right. RJ used the foragers to steal all the [[food]] for an angry [[bear]] (Vincent) and afterwards dumped the foragers, leaving them vulnerable to the traps of the [[hi-tech]] [[pest control]] specialist, the [[Verminator]]. However, later on RJ helps them escape from the Verminator's enclosures, and eventually saves them from Vincent, who hunted down the pest control van after RJ threw the wagon of food he gathered for the bear in front of the van in order to distract the Verminator and allow the foragers to escape from the enclosures inside the [[van]]. Near the end of the movie, Verne officially introduces RJ to the family, saying that "this (the primitive life) is the gateway to the good life"; RJ used the same phrase earlier in the movie when introducing the foragers to suburbia.
-In the [[comic strip]], Verne has a girlfriend, Velma, and a cousin Plushie. However neither of those characters appear in the film.
 [[Walt Kelly]]'s ''[[Pogo (comics)|Pogo]]'' featured a turtle named [[Pogo (comics)#Permanent residents|''Churchy LeFemme'']], always afraid of Friday the 13th and usually wearing a pirate's hat.
-[[List_of_Mario_series_characters#Koopa_Troopa|Koopa Troopas]] (Japanese ノコノコ Nokonoko) are common enemies in the [[Mario Series]] which resemble tortoises, usually displayed as footsoldiers under the direct leadership of [[Bowser (character)|Bowser]]. Since [[Super Mario 64]] however, many Koopas whom do not work for Bowser (or any other villain) have appeared, some of which even act as allies to [[Mario]] during his adventures. Koopa Troopas are turtle-like [[humanoids]] with shells that come in many different colours. Koopas, along with Goombas, are some of Mario's most persistent foes.
+Koopa Troopas (Japanese ノコノコ Nokonoko) are common, tortoise resembling, enemies in the [[Mario Series]], usually displayed as footsoldiers under the direct leadership of Bowser. Since Super Mario 64, however many Koopas whom do not work for [[Bowser]] (or any other villain) have appeared, some of which even act as allies to [[Mario]] during his adventures. Koopa Troopas are turtle-like humanoids with shells that come in many different colors. Koopas, along with Goombas, are some of Mario's most persistent foes.
-Tortimer, also from [[Animal Crossing|a game]], is the tortoise [[mayor]] of your town. He is eccentric and hosts many of the towns tournaments.
-The Giant Turtle is a character from [[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]. This unnamed, mysterious turtle plays a minor, but invaluable role during Link's quest to stop the destruction of Termina. Very little is known about this giant turtle; however, during his short conversation with Link and Lulu, he appears to be a guardian [[god]] of the Zora, similar to Lord Jabu-Jabu.
-Toby Turtle is a character in the [[Disney]] film [[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Robin Hood]]. He is cheerful, smart, and a little bit of a coward. He wears a brown hat and big round black glasses. He is first seen playing with Skippy and his friends when they try out Skippy's bow and arrow. When the arrows lands in the castle grounds, Skippy makes Toby swear by an oath that he will not tattle on him. Later, they meet Maid Marian and Lady Kluck when they retrieve Skippy's arrow. Then he seen at the archery tournament, in which his dad is entered.
-He is then later seen at the party after the tournament and dodges arrows during the [[jail]] break scene. He is seen on the TV show [[House of Mouse]], as a guest and In [[Mickey's Christmas Carol]], he is seen playing in the streets with Skippy.
-Howard the Turtle was a staple character on the [[Canadian]] television show for children, [[Razzle Dazzle]].  The show ran in the early and middle 1960s and was first hosted by [[Alan Hamel]], who perhaps went on to greater fame by [[marrying]] [[Suzanne Somers]] in [[1977]].
-Rolling Turtle is a mini-boss in [[Kirby's Adventure]] that gives the [[Throw]] Ability. He is a turtle with green gloves and a shell that rises above his body.  His attacks include jumping, rolling into Kirby and throwing smaller red turtles. When he grabs [[Kirby]], he either spins then throws Kirby against the wall or jumps and lands on Kirby. If he rolls into Kirby he will grab him and throw him across the screen, so this could be the strongest mini-boss in the game.
-In [[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]] Rolling Turtle was replaced with Phan Phan. He never made an appearance in any other Kirby game after that. Rolling Turtle and Capsule J are considered erased from the series until further notice.
-Lodizal is an enormous turtle in the fantasy MMORPG [[EverQuest]], whose slain shell may be turned into a high-end item, the Lodizal Shell Shield.
 Other notable examples include:
-*Crush and Squirt, two [[Australian]] Turtles from [[Finding Nemo]]
 * [[Super-Turtle]], a character in the [[DC Comics]] universe
-* [[Terrific Whatzit]], a character in the DC Comics [[universe]]
+* The Millenium Tortoise, a character in Aqua Leung, from [[Image Comics]].
+* [[Terrific Whatzit]], a character in the [[DC Comics]] universe
 * Timmy-Joe [[Terrapin]]/Fastback, in ''[[Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew]]''
 * Tim Turtle, a characters in the ''[[Lionel's Kingdom]]''
+* [[Toby Turtle]] in [[Robin Hood (1973 film)]]
 * Toto, the main character of [[United Kingdom|British]] childrens show Harry & Toto.
+* Turner, from ''[[Chucklewood Critters]]''
-* Mudface the Turtle in [[Hugh Lofting]]'s [[Doctor Dolittle]] series, particularly [[Doctor Dolittle and the Secret Lake]].
+* [[Touché Turtle]] from the ''[[Hanna-Barbera]]'' cartoons.
-==Political use==
+==References==
+{{reflist|2}}
+==Further reading==
-Various [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] groups use the term "[[Great Turtle Island]]" as an alternate term for [[Americas|America]], use of the term implying that the continent in question belongs to its indigenous inhabitants and that its  conquest and settlement by Europeans was illegitimate [http://www.albertasource.ca/natureslaws/culture/constitutional_turtle_island.html]
+*Kathleen Rodgers, ''Turtles in Literature'' (S&S Learning Materials, 1997).
-== In conservation and tourism ==
-Sea turtles are used to promote tourism, as sea turtles can have a symbolic role in the imaginations of potential tourists. Tourists interact with turtles in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece, and the United States. Turtle-based [[ecotourism]] activities take place on nesting beaches around the world.<ref name=Lutz/> Sea turtles are on [[Tuvalu]] postage stamps as a national symbol.<ref name=Lutz/> The mascot of the [[KAME project]] is  a sea turtle.
-Due to the turtles’ status as a charismatic megafauna, they are a flagship species for conservation efforts. Educating the public about turtles and conserving their habitats can positively affect other species in the turtles’ habitat. Turtles are also used as marketing tools to give products the appearance of being environmentally friendly.<ref name=Lutz/>
-Ecotourism has become popular in Brazil. In Praia do Forte a marine conservation project called Tamar (from ''tartaruga marinha'' or sea turtle) has more than 300,000 visitors every year, attracted by the idea of saving the habitat of five endangered sea turtle species that nest on the coast. Tamar uses the sea turtle as a symbol for the need for the protection of the coastal environment. Turtle related souvenirs are sold to tourists, and the hotels are “turtle friendly”, being low-rise, dimly lit, and located back from the beach.<ref name=Levine>Levine, Robert M., 1999, ''The History of Brazil'', Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-30390-8.</ref>
-At the [[World Trade Organization]]'s 1999 meeting in [[Seattle]], sea turtles were a focal point of [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity|protests]].<ref name=Lutz/> A group of protestors from the [[Earth Island Institute]] that focused on the issue of [[Turtle excluder device|TED]] use in [[shrimp]] [[trawling|trawls]] wore sea turtle costumes. They had brought 500 turtle costumes to the demonstration.<ref name=Berg>Berg, John C., 2003, ''Teamsters and Turtles?: U.S. Progressive Political Movements in the 21st Century'', Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 0-742-50192-2.</ref> Images of protesters wearing turtle costumes were carried in the media, and they became a symbol of the [[anti-globalization]] movement.<ref name=Lutz/>
-== In slang ==
-[[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] slang uses tortoises and turtles for three striking images. Firstly, tortoises and turtles are regarded as insufficiently virile. So "to wear a green hat" (i.e., to look like a tortoise or turtle) is to be cuckolded. It is therefore a major ''[[faux pas]]'' for a man to wear a green hat.
-Secondly, "sea turtle" (海龟, ''hǎi gūi'') is slang for a returnee, a Chinese person who has studied abroad and returned home. (There is also a [[pun]] here, as ''hǎi gūi'' is also 海归, "to come back home from overseas"). The term has positive connotations, implying a dynamic ability to travel across the ocean. By contrast, "[[kelp]]", which sounds similar to "turtle" in Mandarin, is used to describe an unemployed returnee. It's a less positive term, implying the person is drifting aimlessly.
-Finally, "Turtle" is commonly used as a nickname for slow or short people who look like a turtle when they sit down.  Commonly, this nickname begins as an insult but is later embraced by the "Turtle".
-==See also==
-*[[Owen and Mzee]], a real-life friendship between an old [[Aldabra Giant Tortoise|Aldabra tortoise]] and a baby [[hippopotamus]].
-*[[Turtle racing]]
-== References ==
-{{reflist|2}}
-== External links ==
-* [http://www.2xtreme.net/~nlinsley/ Sea Turtle Postage Stamps of the World.]