Tonca the turtle gets weighed on his 58th birthday when he was living at MOSH. | MOSH via Instagram
Published on February 16, 2026 at 4:10 pm
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Q: Tonca, an American alligator snapping turtle, was the unofficial mascot of the Museum of Science & History in Jacksonville. He made a memorable impression on many who saw him through the years.
Tonca was rescued from a pond in Mandarin in 1995 and began living in MOSH’s Hixon Native Plant Courtyard, growing from 50 to 200 pounds. He was often celebrated in the summers with a weigh-in and checkup.
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Longevity is on Tonca’s side. He celebrated his 59th birthday last July at MOSH. But now MOSH is closed, waiting to move to a new building across the river, and its Southbank building is planned for demolition.
That leaves many children and their parents curious about what’s become of the massive turtle. Jacksonville Today reader Hannah B. asks:
With the closure of the old MOSH building, what’s happening to Tonca the snapping turtle? Very concerned 10-year olds at a birthday party this weekend need to know.
A: We talked with Tyler Holder of High Reason, a marketing communications agency that oversees MOSH communications.
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When the museum closed in September, Holder says, Tonca was moved to the Reptile Preservation Institute in Clay County, where he is “safe and sound.”
The institute’s director, Cody Bartolini helped move Tonca last fall from MOSH to his new habitat in Melrose. Bartolini says Tonca now weighs 210 pounds and has his own 9-foot circular, 3-foot deep pond outdoors.
“He’s basically a boulder at the bottom of the pond,” Bartolini says.
Tonca lives happily immersed in the 72-degree water, staying by himself because he would eat any other turtles that might share his space. He gets meals of fish and rodents delivered by the staff.
“He is well-mannered and not unhappy,” Bartolini says.
MOSH transferred ownership of Tonca to the Reptile Preservation Institute, and there are no plans for him to return to MOSH.
Visitors may see Tonca and many other reptiles during tours by appointment.
