# Giant turtle,for real? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669 "2002-12-05T10:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/1 "2002-12-05T10:07:52Z")
[http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,5583,2-1343-1348\_1289965,00.html](http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,5583,2-1343-1348_1289965,00.html) If this is real is there at least a picture of the thing? ---
**Author:** ![mikan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mikan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/2 "2002-12-05T10:53:59Z")
From a quick Google search (“giant turtle Vietnam”): [http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9804/13/vietnam.turtles.ap/](http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9804/13/vietnam.turtles.ap/) There’s even video! ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/3 "2002-12-05T11:13:07Z")
Thank you for that Mikan. note to self google is your friend 🙂 Now i’m just going to go to it to find out more about the rare species in Shanghai mentioned in the article. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/4 "2002-12-05T12:07:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by effac3d \* > \*\*[http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,5583,2-1343-1348\_1289965,00.html](http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,5583,2-1343-1348_1289965,00.html) > > If this is real is there at least a picture of the thing? \*\* Yeah, I got your turt…no that would be wrong, so wrong. Must think of board tone. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/5 "2002-12-05T12:33:47Z")
Gamera is our friend! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/6 "2002-12-05T13:11:53Z")
That was funny, **Bosda** ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/7 "2002-12-05T15:53:58Z")
Yeah at least until he decides to attack Tokyo,then you’ll see his true intent. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/8 "2002-12-05T16:58:28Z")
So, have they determined whether this monster [breathes through his butt](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011116.html) ? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/9 "2002-12-05T17:34:18Z")
Does this turtle have initials carved into it’s shell? ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/10 "2002-12-05T17:42:46Z")
That video reminded me of the Loch Ness Monster photos. I can almost see the guy in the swimsuit holding up that little turtle head! [sub]If it is a real monster turtle video, I apologize for any offense to the videographer or his family, and to the monster turtle and it’s family.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/11 "2002-12-05T17:45:54Z")
My favorite line in the news article was that [inaccurate quote] “since this is in the middle of Hanoi, many people can experience it.” [Americentrism on]No prob. Think I’ll stop by over lunch! ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/12 "2002-12-05T18:52:16Z")
Name the Roald Dahl short story that featured a giant turtle. ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/13 "2002-12-05T19:28:07Z")
“The boy who talked to animals?” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/14 "2002-12-05T20:45:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by shelbo \* > **That video reminded me of the Loch Ness Monster photos. I can almost see the guy in the swimsuit holding up that little turtle head!** I thought the same thing, except I was wondering how the diver had gotten a hold of one of the Graboids from _Tremors._ ---
**Author:** ![Bannin\_ZER0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Bannin\_ZER0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bannin_ZER0)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/15 "2002-12-05T21:36:15Z")
i thought turtles breathed throw there shells do they? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/16 "2002-12-05T21:53:17Z")
Speaking of breathing… ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/17 "2002-12-05T22:13:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > \*\*Does this turtle have initials carved into it’s shell? \*\* _What_ film is that from? I can remember the ending of it where one of the characters tosses a necklace overboard and it drifts down and passes a giant sea turtle with initials carved into its shell. There was an article in _Discover_ not too long ago that stated scientists now believed that turtles are immortal. I know that the world’s largest snapping turtle is thought to be over fifty years old. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/18 "2002-12-05T22:46:07Z")
Well, there’s a [tortoise](http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/s93683.htm) that was originally collected by Charles Darwin himself–and at last report, _was still alive 169 years later_. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/19 "2002-12-05T22:53:37Z")
**Tuckerfan** , It’s not a movie; it’s a book. I read it in second or third grade, back during the Truman administration. The book title is _Minn_, about a snapping turtle hatched at the headwaters of the Mississippi. When he (she?) was just a silver dollar sized turtle someone wanted to carve “Minnesota” on his shell but because he was so small there was only room for the first four letters. Turtle makes his way down the river with great adventures and end up as a hogshead size snapper sitting on a pile of pirate treasure someplace in a Louisiana bayou. Wonderful illustrations. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669/20 "2002-12-05T23:11:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > \*\ ***Tuckerfan** , It’s not a movie; it’s a book. I read it in second or third grade, back during the Truman administration. The book title is _Minn_, about a snapping turtle hatched at the headwaters of the Mississippi. When he (she?) was just a silver dollar sized turtle someone wanted to carve “Minnesota” on his shell but because he was so small there was only room for the first four letters. Turtle makes his way down the river with great adventures and end up as a hogshead size snapper sitting on a pile of pirate treasure someplace in a Louisiana bayou. Wonderful illustrations. \*\* **Spavined** , I have no doubt that there’s such a book, but there’s also a movie, made in the late 70’s, IIRC. One of the characters was an Atlantean or a mermaid, and its her initials, along with another character’s that are carved into the turtle’s shell. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-turtle-for-real/140669.md?page=2)