Turkeys, make way for turtles

It’s time for Stinky’s star turn. Vanilla, Acorn, Sage and Smiley too. The spotlight will be on the terrapins at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for Turtle and Tortoise Family Fun Days.

In addition to the museum’s own shelled reptiles, rare and exotic species will be displayed courtesy of the Los Angeles Zoo and the California Turtle and Tortoise Club. In the Discovery Center, kids can make masks and giant shells to wear as they participate in a museum-wide scavenger hunt.

Experts will answer questions about the critters’ habits, feeding and care, as well as explain the basics -- such as the often-misunderstood difference between turtles and tortoises.

“Basically, turtles are the ones that can swim -- they need water,” says Kelly Williams, Discovery Center supervisor. “Tortoises, like our desert tortoises, are land dwellers. They need water to drink but they really need room for digging.”

Keeping tortoises and turtles as pets isn’t as easy as people might think, Williams says. “Tortoises need a lot of space and sunshine, plus they can live up to 120 years. And turtles can’t be just plopped in a tank with water.”

But they have personalities -- check out Stinky, the museum’s stinkpot turtle. “They are fascinating to watch,” she says. “You see the link to ancient life when they walk, move and eat. They are like little dinosaurs.”

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Turtle and Tortoise Family Fun Days, Natural History Museum, 900 State Drive, Exposition Park, L.A. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Free with admission: $8 adults, $2 children. (213) 763-3466.