Future Donnie

Spiny softshells begin mating between ages 8 and 10. A large female turtle may live up to 50 years. The turtles mate in mid-to-late spring in deep water. The male will nudge the female's head while swimming, and if she chooses to mate, the male will swim above the female without clasping her with his claws (unlike other turtles). A few months later, the female turtle quickly lays her eggs along a sunny sandbar or gravel bank in a flask-shaped cavity she has dug close to the water. This nesting behavior typically begins around July with the females leaving the water and probing the ground with her snout to find the spot to lay her eggs. Males nudge a female's head while swimming in an attempt to court her. With approval from the female, the male will swim above her, but will not clasp her with his claws like other turtle species. Spiny softshell turtles typically breed in May. Females lay anywhere from 4 to 38 eggs on sandbars or in loose soil. The eggs hatch sometime in August or September. They can live up to 50 years in the wild. Mating is usually in June in deep water. The male will nudge the female’s head while swimming and there is lots of waving of large webbed feet. If the female chooses to mate the male will swim above her without clasping her with his claws (which is unlike other turtles). The eggs are laid in nests fairly close to shore that are dug in open or soft soil during late May and June. The nests are bowl shaped with a narrower opening that descends to a larger egg chamber. They may be 4 to 10 inches deep.

Donatello is calm, sensible, friendly, and gentle. He does not get into a lot of confrontations with his brothers. He doesn't share the love of combat as his brothers do, instead opting for alternative methods of problem-solving and interests that stimulate the inquiring mind. Donnie has an aptitude for recklessness, reveling in thrilling, dangerous activities such as when he tests the Turtle Tank’s taxi rocket and enjoys the experience despite having no control of the vehicle and traveling hundreds of feet into the air in “Late Fee”. He also has a violent streak as Donnie regularly attempts to physically attack others with little hesitance and can be wild, typically acting more like a deranged scientist than a heedful man of knowledge. Touch is an important component of many social experiences for many people. Autistic children commonly avoid social touch more than non-autistic peers. It is generally thought that this is due to autistic individuals experiencing hyper- or hyposensitivity of touch.

While Donnie perceives himself as being emotionless, in reality, he is quite passionate such as being easily irritated, especially when others don’t listen and/or appreciate his intelligence. He would not be the most affectionate, but when he feels in trust, he'll definitely shower his couple with love! Shelldon will definitely tease him about it.

While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged; Donnie never liked it, but ever since you started to date him, and after he began trusting you, he wants to hug you, even if his senses overstimulate!