Peanut The Famous Turtle Is Turning 41 — And She’s Having A Party!

August 23, 2025

Meet Peanut — the turtle with the one-of-a-kind, figure-eight shell and a story that turned her into a conservation icon.

Back in 1984, little Peanut crawled into a plastic six-pack ring. As she grew, the ring didn’t break away, and her shell formed into the peanut-like shape she’s known for today. Rescued and cared for by the Missouri Department of Conservation, Peanut has since become a symbol of why keeping litter out of nature matters.

Now, this beloved red-eared slider is celebrating her 41st birthday at the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Missouri. The celebration includes crafts, coloring, litter pledges, and of course, plenty of birthday wishes for “the world’s coolest turtle.”

Her unique shell — once a result of harm — has become her “superpower.”

As the Missouri Department of Conservation put it: “As Peanut’s shell grew around it, her one-of-a-kind shape became her superpower.”