Total the talking turtle is currently too excited to talk, which was fine when he was on the acting-out side of this charades game.

“Thirty seconds,” says Sybil the speaking snake, coiled up in a pet carrier like everyone else in this airplane cargo hold.

“Come onnnn,” grouses Griswold the grumbling Great Dane. “Two words! You can get this!” He points his nose at Total, then kind of around him, then back again.

“Time’s up!” Sybil says. “We win. I get to eat the little dog.”

“WHAT,” shrieks Shara the shih tzu.

“Box turtle!!!” Total bursts out, a week later.