Swamp Puppy Named Turbo Proves to be One Woman's Reptilian Best Friend and Certified Good Boy

When people become pet parents, it's an exciting occassion. Sometimes they'll post pictures of their new puppy or kitten on social media, showing off to all of their friends online that they're now in the market for some replacement sneakers, carpet cleaner, and a a good night's sleep. Everybody loves those puppy and kitten pics, because what kind of monster doesn't love baby animals, but one woman put her following to the test when she shared a picture of the latest addition to her family: a tiny, scaly caiman alligator. 

u/tangothedwarfcaiman

Meet Turbo. This little nugget found sanctuary with a woman who works at a reptile rescue. She had a long-time reptile pet of hers pass away and filled the hole in her heart with the most derpy apex predator out there. Turbo has become her best friend and lifelong companion, growing up to be an adorable, mouse-eating wonder. 

Honestly, with his mild demeanor and silly globe-like eyes, you would never guess that Turbo could take one of your fingers off with one quick swoop. He acts like a puppy, a swamp puppy to be precise, and shows his affection with little hisses, tail wags, and cozy cuddles. Believe it or not, this spiky boy is actually incredibly affectionate.

He plays with his owner, they romp together, and he knows her voice. In fact, he comes running through his enclosure whenever he sees her, delighted to be able to play with his favorite hooman again. 

Not only that,  ut this pint-sized dinosaur has actually gotten to be pretty hefty over the years, which seems to have only grown the size of his reptilian heart. If you were thinking you were in the market to adopt a puppy or a kitten from your local rescue, think twice because you could be walking an ancient reptile down the street instead of a snarky golden doodle. Imagine the conversation starter that that would be? 

Not everybody has the inspiration or the fascilities to house and train a caiman alligator, but we're certainly happy that this one woman did. From afar and behind the safety of our phone screens, we can admire the beauty, grace, and vicious complexity that centuries of evolution have created on this Earth. This good boy is one of those prehistoric critters that would outlive any hooman and we are certainly glad for it in Turbo's case.