I've had my Red Eared Slider, called RES for short, terrapim/turtle with me for almost a year now - 10 months to be exact - and this creature has to date committed 3 prison breaks.
Currently, he's roughly the size of my palm. And to think it was only 2" long when I got him back in August of 2017.
Why so many prison breaks? You ask.
Well... its not like I've maltreating my pet or anything.
It is mainly because I have been underestimating this thing.
Normally, you'd think, "With a shell that big, it won't be able to do much." Right?
Wrong. This thing can jump up to 3-5 times its height and dash at such a speed you'd be amazed to see! (It's not at bunny fast speed but trust me it is FAST.)
On thing I also never accounted for is a terrapim's ability to climb.
Yes, you heard right. It can climb.
I made the mistake of using a sort of netted material to fence my RES' enclosure.
Believe me, it scaled the walls like Spiderman.
So to anyone who has plans of keeping a RES or any terrapim for that matter, you have been warned.
Be extra vigilant with these things. Afterall, you never know when your pond water will over flow and give this guy a chance to escape.