Turtles on The Simpsons

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Sage advice from The Simpsons

The Simpsons have a lot of turtle references. (It seems unusually high for a non-recurring 'character'. Almost every reference is to a different turtle. (The clip shows, like All Singing, All Dancing, sometimes have duplicate references.) I've counted on average two per season. That makes roughly 10% of the episodes that have a turtle reference that I've seen.) The purpose of this page is to document those occurrences and maybe try to find a pattern.

I recently found another page along a similar vein: Reptiles and The Simpsons, to which I owe thanks for the Treehouse of Horror II and Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala-D'OH!-cious references.



Episode list

Ep # Episode Title Reference

MG42

Shorts: Maggie in Peril
Turtles-Simpsons-MG42-Maggie in Peril.jpg

In one of the Tracy Ullman shorts, Maggie has a turtle toy.

03x07

Treehouse of Horror II
Turtles-Simpsons-03x07-Treehouse of Horror II.jpg

Homer is fired and gets a job as a gravedigger.

  • Willie: Deeper! Wider! Faster! I wouldn't bury m' turtle in that mud puddle!

03x22

The Otto Show
Turtles-Simpsons-03x22-I will not spin the turtle.jpg
  • Chalkboard gag: "I will not spin the turtle"

04x08

New Kid on the Block
Turtles-Simpsons-04x08-Frying Dutchman.jpg

Decor in the Frying Dutchman includes a turtle in a net.

  • Note: This decor shows up again in a later episode: Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner.

05x13

Homer and Apu
Turtles-Simpsons-05x13-I will not go near the kindergarten turtle.jpg
  • Chalkboard gag: "I will not go near the kindergarten turtle"

05x17


20x11

Bart Gets an Elephant

How the Test Was Won

Turtles-Simpsons-05x17-TerrapinWax.gif

The Turtle Terrapin Wax turtle grabs Homer's hair.

Note: This scene is cut in syndication[1].

While Lisa complains about being stuck in the house...
In the basement, Homer is about to clean the floor and hesitates between bottles of Bubble Off, Terrapin Wax, Cleanser... He settles for Mr. Cleanser.
Homer: Hmm... [reading] "Use only in a well-ventilated area." [looks around] Shove it, buddy! [pours most of the bottle on the floor]
Homer grunts as he scrubs the floor, but the fumes soon make him dizzy. In his hallucination, the logos of the various cleaning products come to life. At first friendly, they turn evil and attack him; several Bubbles biting him, the Turtle pulling his hair strands, the Cleanser knight stabbing him with his spear, and Mr. Cleanser strangling him.

The clip shows up later as Homer remembers his past injuries in season 20's "How the Test Was Won".

06x07

Bart's Girlfriend
Turtles-Simpsons-06x07-Wee Tur'les.jpg

After Bart's new girlfriend pulls a fire alarm, Willy attempts to save the wee tur'les.

Willy: If I don't save the wee tur'les, who will? [beat] doh! Save me from the wee tur'les, they were too quick for me aaaggghh...

06x08

Lisa On Ice
Turtles-Simpsons-06x08-Bart's Turtle.jpg

When Bart's team wins a hockey game, Homer pulls out a turtle

Homer: Well Boy, you won, so I'm going to live up to my side of the agreement. Here's your turtle, alive and well.

Turtles-Simpsons-06x08-Gamera.jpg

Meanwhile, Lisa finds she's failing gym class and imagines being impeached from the presidency in the future because she failed gym

Justice: I sentence you to a lifetime of horror on Monster Island. [aside] Don't worry, it's just a name.
Lisa: [running from Gamera] He said it was just a name!
Fellow runner: What he meant was that Monster Island is actually a peninsula.
  • Note: These same kaiju would show up in a later episode: "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", then Homerzilla will battle Gamera in Treehouse of horror XXVI

06x20


09x11

Two Dozen and One Greyhounds

All Singing, All Dancing

Turtles-Simpsons-06x20-Turtle's Necks.jpg
Mr. Burns: Some men hunt for sport, others hunt for food. The only thing I'm hunting for, is an outfit that looks good...
See... my... Vest. See my vest.
Made from real gorilla chest.
[...]
Grizzly bear underwear,
Turtle's necks I've got my share.
[...]
but a greyhound fur tuxedo would be best.
So let's prepare these dogs...
Maid: Kill two for matching clogs.
Mr. Burns: See my vest, see my vest, oh please won't you see... my... Vest! I really like the vest.
Smithers: I gathered, yeah...
Lisa: He's gonna make a tuxedo out of our puppies!
Bart: [still humming the tune] Na na na na na na naa naaaa...
Lisa: Bart!
Bart: Sorry... You gotta admit it's catchy.

This song is reprised in the season 9 clip show, All Singing, All Dancing

07x19

A Fish Called Selma
Turtles-Simpsons-07x19-A Fish Called Selma.jpg

Troy McClure proposes to Selma at a drive-in theater showing of his movie: The Muppets Go Medieval

Troy McClure: That's not cigars baby, that's love.
Troy: No longer canst I conceal my love, my wimpled turtledove.
Selma and Miss Piggy both moan.
Troy: Oh, princess fair, wilst thou grant me thine dainty hoof in marriage?
Piggy: Oh, Sir Lies-a-lot, I will!
Selma: (at the same time) Oh, Troy, I will!

(Yes, I know turtledoves aren't turtles.)

08x09

El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer
Turtles-Simpsons-08x09-Follow the tortoise.jpg

Homer goes on a vision quest after eating the Merciless Peppers of Quetzalsacatanango.

Homer: Huh? A tortoise?! [reading] Follow... the... [gasp] This must be why I'm here! Follow the what!? Follow the what!? Hurry up! [beat] D'Oh!

08x10

The Springfield Files
Turtles-Simpsons-08x10-A turtle's got ahold of my teeth.jpg

Mulder and Scully, while investigating Homer's claim of an alien sighting, run across Abe who's lost his teeth to a turtle.

Abe: For the love of God help me! I've been here for four days and a turtle's got ahold of my teeth! There he is! [high speed chase] [...] Ow! He bit me with my own teeth!

08x13

Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala-D'OH!-cious
Turtles-Simpsons-08x13-SimpsoncalifragilisticexpialaDOHcious.jpg

Homer tells Marge she has his full attention as we cut to Homer's brain and see a turtle and some farmyard animals playing Turkey in the Straw.

08x18

Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment
Turtles-Simpsons-08x18-Rex Banner.jpg

After a prohibition law is rediscovered on the Springfield books (on St Patrick's Day), Rex Banner comes to town to clean up Eliot Ness style. Hunting for the Beer Baron, he raids Moe's Pet Shop (speakeasy):

Rex Banner: What kind of pet shop is filled with rambunctious yahoos and hot jazz music at 1 AM?
Moe: Um. the... the best damn pet shop in town!
Crowd: Yeah! (clink glasses)
Rex Banner: Alright. But you people remember; baby turtles and alligators may seem like a cute idea for a pet, but they grow up!

09x12

Bart Carny
Turtles-Simpsons-09x12-Bart Carney.jpg

One of the prizes in the ring toss booth is a turtle.

(I knew there had to be one in this episode. There are just too many images in the carnival for there to not be one. It took me a while to find it though.)

09x17

Lisa the Simpson
Turtles-Simpsons-09x17-Lisa the Simpson.jpg

Lisa, afraid she's going to succumb to the Simpsons Gene goes on TV to talk about some things that have meant a lot to her

Lisa: And please don't deprive yourselves of wonderful books like "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Harriet the Spy" and "Yertle the Turtle" -- possibly the best book ever written on the subject of turtle stacking.
Chief Wiggum: [In bed, reading "Yertle the Turtle"] She's got that right.

Yertle the Turtle also shows up in 25x02 Treehouse of Horror XXIV

10x05


13x17

When You Dish Upon a Star

Gump Roast

Turtles-Simpsons-10x05-When You Dish Upon a Star.jpg

Snapping turtles chase after Homer.

I wrote that down when the episode first aired, but I've had a hard time finding it whenever it aired in syndication. Now I know why. It was cut in the syndicated version[2].

Marge: [driving boat] How's he doing?
Bart: I don't know. I think Dad might be a little heavy for parasailing.
Homer: [tiptoeing across water] Faster, Marge! Faster! [looking over his shoulder at turtles] The snapping turtles are massing!

They also edited out the same scene from the syndicated version of the clip show Gump Roast[3].

10x10

Viva Ned Flanders
Turtles-Simpsons-10x10-Viva Ned Flanders.jpg

While paying for a carwash, Ned Flanders gets a senior discount

Homer: Hey! How did Churchy La Femme get half price?
Clerk: Senior citizens' discount.
  • Note: Churchill "Churchy" La Femme was a mud turtle in the Pogo comic strip.

10x23

Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
Turtles-Simpsons-10x23-Gamera.jpg

Returning from a trip to Tokyo, the plane the Simpsons are on is shaken.

Pilot: Uh, folks, we're experiencing some moderate Godzilla-related turbulence at this time, so I'm going to go ahead and ask you to put your seatbelts back on. When we get to 35 thousand feet, he usually does let go, so from there on out, all we have to worry about is Mothra, and, uh, we do have reports he's tied up with Gamera and Rodan at the present time. Thank you very much.
  • Note: These same kaiju showed up in an earlier episode: "Lisa On Ice", later Homerzilla will battle Gamera in "Treehouse of horror XXVI"

11x03

Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner
Turtles-Simpsons-11x03-Frying Dutchman.jpg

Turtle decor from the Frying Dutchman

  • Note: This decor shows up in an earlier episode: New Kid on the Block.

11x07

Eight Misbehavin'
Turtles-Simpsons-11x07-Turtles acting different.gif

While trying to free Apu's octuplets from the zoo, they see a turtle swinging through the trees.

Apu: These animals certainly act different at night.

11x15

Missionary Impossible
Turtles-Simpsons-11x15-Shell helmet.jpg

Homer wears a turtle-shell helmet in a nod to The Flintstones

11x19

Kill the Alligator and Run
Turtles-Simpsons-11x19-Kill the Alligator and Run.jpg

After hitting an alligator, Homer dives in the swamp to flee the police and comes up with a few animals biting him, including a few little snapping turtles.

12x09

HOMЯ
Turtles-Simpsons-12x09-Leon Uris.jpg
Turtles-Simpsons-12x09-Bite.jpg

Homer has a crayon removed from his brain, improving his intelligence. In a visit to the library we run across Cletus about to make some turtle soup.

Lisa: I think books have an amazing power to bring people together. Look, even Cletus is checking one out.
[Cletus pulls out a turtle and a bib]
Cletus: Now hold still. Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
[turtle bites him]
Cletus: Ow! Dangit! [drops book on his finger]
Cletus: Ow!
  • Note: The art for this turtle appears to be the same as the turtle in episode 11x07, Eight Misbehavin'

14x01

Treehouse of Horror XIII (The Island of Dr. Hibbert)
Turtles-Simpsons-14x01-Treehouse of Horror XIII.jpg

In this Island of Doctor Moreau parody, Moleman is a tortoise

14x03

Bart vs. Lisa vs. The Third Grade
Turtles-Simpsons-14x03-Third grade turtle.jpg

Bart is demoted to the third grade and Lisa is promoted to the third grade. In the background we see that the third grade classroom has a pet turtle.

  • Note: One of the chalkboard gags indicates that the Kindergarten classroom has a turtle as well. Another chalkboard gag mentions a generic turtle Bart is not supposed to spin. Also, in Bart's Girlfriend, we see that the Science Lab has a lot of "Wee Tur'les".

14x04

Large Marge
Turtles-Simpsons-14x04-Large Marge.jpg

While Lisa and Homer spend their father-daughter time building a house for Domiciles for the Destitute, Homer paints "El Homo" on the house trying to be cool like "El Barto". Then after realizing how it sounds he desperately paints over it.

Lisa: Dad, you're getting paint on your wedding ring!
Homer: Huh? Oh right. Can you hold it?
Lisa: This is a Band-Aid wrapped in tin foil.
Homer: My real ring's inside a turtle.

Marge thinks she sees Homer flirting and goes to a plastic surgeon to get liposuction, but ends up getting breast implants. Hilarity ensues.

14x06

The Great Louse Detective
Turtles-Simpsons-14x06-Turtle Massage.jpg

Marge goes to a spa and gets a Turtle Massage after which, the turtles are tossed into a bin marked "used turtles."

14x07

Special Edna
"And now, enjoy the soothing music of The Turtles"

(OK, so this reference is cheating since it's referring to the band, not to turtles themselves, but I'm counting it :P)

14x20

Brake My Wife, Please
Turtles-Simpsons-14x20-Brake My Wife Please.jpg

On a school field trip to the aquarium, a turtle punches Bart after he moons the crowd.

14x21

The Bart of War
Turtles-Simpsons-14x21-Turtle impaler.jpg

While cleaning up litter, Kirk Van Houten (leading the Cavalry Kids) accidentally impales a tortoise.

15x12

Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Turtles-Simpsons-15x12-Milhouse Doesnt Live Here Anymore.jpg

Milhouse and his mother move to Capital City, leaving Bart to adopt Lisa as his new best friend.

Lisa: The mound builders worshiped turtles as well as badgers, snakes, and other animals.
Bart: Thank god we've come to our senses and worship a carpenter who lived 2000 years ago.

15x16

The Wandering Juvie
Turtles-Simpsons-15x16-Juvie.jpg

Bart gets sent to juvenile hall. Yard equipment includes a rocking turtle.

15x18

Catch 'Em If You Can
Turtles-Simpsons-15x18-Catch 'Em If You Can.jpg
Kent Brockman: I guess you could call him "The Little Tortoise That Couldn't"! See our website for the recipe.

(I originally found this quote on the net. It took me two years to finally find what episode it came from. Let me tell you, noone on the 'net has the quote right. Most say he says "turtle". Some say "check the webpage for recipes". &etc.)

15x20

The Way We Weren't

During the flashback scenes Marge and Homer Elvis kiss to the music of The Turtles (Happy Together)

16x14

The Seven-Beer Snitch
Turtles-Simpsons-16x14-Apronboobsface.jpg

In order to find out why Snowball likes another family better than the Simpsons, Bart comes up with an excuse to see in their house.

Bart: My baby turtle crawled into your basement window!
Woman: Oh, you poor boy. What's your turtle's name?
Bart: [looking at woman] Uhh... Apronboobsface?
Woman: Really? Well, let's go find him!.

16x15

Future-Drama
Turtles-Simpsons-16x15-HaHaaa.jpg

Bart and Lisa find themselves in Prof. Frink's basement and he uses the science of astrology on his new computer to show them their future, eight years from next Tuesday. At their graduation party, Nelson flees fatherhood on the back of a sea turtle.

16x16

Don't Fear The Roofer
Turtles-Simpsons-16x16-Electroshock.jpg

Homer goes in for electroshock therapy because everyone believes he's crazy. Bart asks him to hold his dead turtle while he's getting shocked to try to revive it.

17x08

The Italian Bob
Turtles-Simpsons-17x08-DiversityTales.jpg

During the diversity film at the beginning a legend about a turtle is mentioned.

Narrator: Welcome, to Diversity Tales!
Students groan
Willie: Enjoy your multi-cultural hooey! [laughs]
Narrator: It was the Feast of the Sea Lion Who Would Not Share
girl: Come brother Chi-chi, let us collect Cha-cha sticks!
boy: I will make a headdress for the wedding of Earth Turtle and Moon Mongoose
bird: You don't need a headdress! Your most beautiful costume is your self-esteem.

(Spelling of names approximate.)


17x18

The Wettest Stories Ever Told
Turtles-Simpsons-17x18-Mutiny.jpg

In Mutiny on the Barty (a parody of Mutiny on the Bounty), Skinner gets marooned with Willy, who then maroons him on a turtle.

(Seymour) Bligh: Sing a round!
Willie: Row row row your boat, gently down the stream, Merrily, Merrily, row row, oh so merrily, not so merrily, row row, very merrily... [gives up] I can't do it, sir! I'm just one man!
Bligh: What are you gonna do? Mutiny?
[cuts to Bligh on a sea turtle as Willie rows away]
Bligh: Swim faster or I'll have you made into soup! What are you gonna do? Go underwater?
[the sea turtle does so]
Bligh: [underwater] You call this "deep"?!

17x19

Girls Just Want to Have Sums
Turtles-Simpsons-17x19-Stab-a-Lot.jpg

At the beginning of the episode, the Simpsons are attending Stab-a-Lot: the Itchy and Scratchy Musical (a parody on The Lion King / Spamalot), and an actor in a turtle costume leads the animals down the aisle.

18x04

Treehouse of Horror XVII
Turtles-Simpsons-18x04-I passed out on your turtle.jpg

In the You Gotta Know When To Golem segment, Homer mentions Bart's turtle.

*loud moan*
Homer: [drunk] Bart, there's something I have to tell you, father to son. I passed out on your turtle and killed it. Someday you'll thank me.

18x10

The Wife Aquatic
Turtles-Simpsons-18x10-Carousel.jpg

Marge goes back to a happy place from her childhood, only to find it's not what she remembered. A carousel she loved has a turtle on it. (It's interesting that when they "refurbished" the ride, the turtle had a different shell pattern on it.)

18x12

Little Big Girl
Turtles-Simpsons-18x12-Little Big Girl.jpg

Lisa fakes her family heritage in the 'Hitachi' tribe for a school project.

John Squawkingbear: Lisa, hi, my name is John squawkingbear, I'm a reporter for the Chippewa Bugle. [...] I've never heard of the Hitachi [...] where were you centered?
Lisa: Centered? Centered... You know where the four states come together?
Squawkingbear: Oh quite well.
Lisa: Not there. Not even close.
Squawkingbear: In the name of the Great Turtle, will you answer the question!?

18x15

Rome-old and Juli-eh
Turtles-Simpsons-18x15-Old sea turtle.jpg
Marge: Awwww look at Grandpa and Selma frolicking in the water.
Homer: It's not right! It's like an old sea turtle dating a suitcase that fell out of a plane.

(Loved the parody of the Battle of Helm's Deep in this episode.)

18x20

Stop, Or My Dog Will Shoot!
Turtles-Simpsons-18x20-SkittleSkittleScurrySkittle.jpg

First we believed Cletus was bitten by a turtle, we now have proof that he was actually bitten by a wereturtle!

Brandine: Cletus, you coward, is you man or turtle?
Cletus [crawling away like a turtle]: Here's your answer, "skittle skittle scurry skittle."

19x01

He Loves to Fly and He D'oh's
Turtles-Simpsons-19x01-He Loves to Fly and He D'oh's.jpg

Homer develops a taste for flying. After failing to get a job that would involve travel, Homer hides out at Krusty Burger when we see the school children arrive.

Milhouse: Principle Skinner, why did we have to leave the Learn-and-Touch Reptile Zoo so early?
Skinner: Well, it seems someone was riding the giant tortoise naked.
Otto: It's not my fault. The drinking fountain dared me to do it.

Of course, I loved the bits in Chicago in the beginning of this episode.

19x02

The Homer of Seville
Turtles-Simpsons-19x02-The Homer of Seville.jpg

In a parody of Entourage, Lenny dresses like Turtle.

Turtle is also referenced in 21x01 Homer the Whopper

(I have to admit I didn't catch this until I saw it on the Wikia page.)

19x04

I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Turtles-Simpsons-19x04-I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.jpg

A turtle shows up in the baseball game in the Itchy and Scratchy Show.

19x06

Little Orphan Millie
Turtles-Simpsons-19x06-Little Orphan Millie.jpg

A sign at the Van Houten wedding reads "PLEASE DO NOT KICK SEA TURTLES".

19x07

Husbands and Knives
Turtles-Simpsons-19x07-Husbands and Knives.jpg

A new comic store opens across the street from Android's Dungeon. The new Comic guy has a Girlfriend!! (Who wears a turtle t-shirt.)

(There are probably other turtles in this episode, as there are a ton of images flashing by in the comic stores and I know there were other kaiju around, so there's probably a Gamera I have not yet been able to spot somewhere.)

(I loved Comic Book Guy's parody of the iconic Spider-Man No More cover when he goes out of business.)

19x15

Smoke on the Daughter
Turtles-Simpsons-19x15-Smoke on the Daughter.jpg

Lisa, as Angelica Button (a parody of Harry Potter), wears a tortoise-shell barrette. (There's also a kid with a Harry Potter scar in the crowd.)

Comic Book Guy: Nice Angelica Button costume Lisa. Althoooouuuugh... the Griffin on your coat of arms is facing left, not right. And FYI, Angelica wears TWO tortoise-shell barrettes. Nice try though.
Lisa: I based my costume on the BOOKS not the movies.
Crowd: [laughs at CBG]


19x18

Any Given Sundance
Turtles-Simpsons-19x18-Any Given Sundance.jpg

While filming a video project for school, Lisa films a turtle and then Barney 'turning turtle'.

20x20

Four Great Women and a Manicure
Turtles-Simpsons-20x20-Four Great Women and a Manicure.jpg

After a season that's been a bit dry on turtle references, some catch up is necessary. This episode actually has THREE turtles in it!

The first shows up during the Snow White segment. Lisa uses her animal wiles to convince a turtle to climb into the soup pot.

During Maggie's story, there are two drawings of turtles on the nursery wall. (I love this segment. I'm not necessarily a big Ayn Rand fan, but I do like The Fountainhead -- I like architecture and self-reliance.)


21x01

Homer the Whopper
Turtles-Simpsons-21x01-Homer the Whopper.jpg

Homer gets a part in a movie and gets a personal trainer. Partway through the film the trainer leaves and Homer returns to his normal self.

Homer: Who did you leave me for? [...]
Lyle McCarthy: OK, it was Turtle, from Entourage.

Turtle is also referenced in The Homer of Seville

22x06

The Fool Monty
Turtles-Simpsons-22x06-The Fool Monty.png

Mr Burns gets some bad news that he will die soon. Smithers finds him at the top of a cliff.

Smithers: Sir! What are you doing?
Burns: Smithers, I want to die quietly, on my own terms, crushing as many of those baby sea turtles as I possibly can. Goodbye insufficiently cruel world!

22x11

Flaming Moe
Turtles-Simpsons-22x11-Flaming Moe-Sheldon.jpg

Mr. Burns writes a will naming his pet tortoise, Sheldon, as a beneficiary.

Burns voiceover: I, C. Montgomery Burns, hereby divide my estate in equal shares to: The Yale University Department of Applied Evil, Gary from Gary's Trapdoor Installation and Repair, and finally my faithful and constant companion...
Smithers: Your tortoise?!?!
Burns: Yes, it always saddens me that you and Sheldon have never gotten along.

23x17

Them, Robot
Turtles-Simpsons-23x17-Them, Robot.jpg

Mr Burns replaces the nuclear plant's workers with robots. When things go awry, Bart uses the head of one for a turtle tank.

24x06

A Tree Grows in Springfield
Turtles-Simpsons-24x06-A Tree Grows in Springfield.jpg

Homer dreams about playing baseball and accidentally breaks the sky, letting in the sea, including one turtle swimming over the field.

24x12

Love is a Many-Splintered Thing
Turtles-Simpsons-24x12-Love is a Many-Splintered Thing.jpg

One of the performers uses a turtle shell as an instrument

24x17

What Animated Women Want
Turtles-Simpsons-24x17-What Animated Women Want.jpg
Voice-over: When all is lost, a man's mind turns to one thing, and one thing only
Chef: What fish may I deplete from our oceans for your passing pleasure? Perhaps some Shark Fin Soup? Whale Tonsils? Baby Dolphin Blow-Hole? Turtle Smile?
Homer: I'd like a lot of food, and for this to be the last decision I have to make.

25x02

Treehouse of Horror XXIV (Oh, the Places You'll D'Oh)
Turtles-Simpsons-25x02-Treehouse of Horror XXIV.jpg

The Fat in the Hat knocks over a Yertle the Turtle-esque turtle tower.

Yertle the Turtle also shows up in 09x17 Lisa the Simpson

25x08

White Christmas Blues (Itchy & Scratchy: It's a Wonderful Knife)
Turtles-Simpsons-25x08-White Christmas Blues.jpg

A turtle walks by in the background in the beginning of the Itchy & Scratchy episode during the It's a Wonderful Life parody

25x12

Diggs
Turtles-Simpsons-25x11-Diggs.jpg
Bart: Well, my dad said don't bring home any more dogs, cats, turtles, or snakes, but he never said anything about predatory birds!

26x20

Let's Go Fly a Coot
Turtles-Simpsons-26x20-Lets Go Fly a Coot.jpg
Turtles-Simpsons-26x20-Lets Go Fly a Coot runway.jpg

I've probably missed a couple this season, but this episode has lots of turtles.


Yale graduates popping out of a birthday cake as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Abe: I had a crucial job too -- keepin' desert turtles off the runway.
Abe: Shoo! Shoo now!
Pilot: Just pick them up!
Abe: eeehh.. They feel weird!

Abe: He didn't get a single word! You got the point didn't ya son?
Homer: Uh, you used to work with turtles?
Abe: (sarcastic) Yeah, that's pretty much it. I Used To Work With Turtles!

27x05

Treehouse of Horror XXVI
Turtles-Simpsons-27x05-Treehouse of Horror XXVI.jpg

Homerzilla battles Gamera

  • Note: Gamera also shows up in "Lisa On Ice" and "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo".

27x06

Friend with Benefit
Turtles-Simpsons-27x06-Friend with Benefit.jpg
Lisa: Harper flipped a sea turtle on its back!
Harper: My beach, My turtle!
Lisa: Why is everything yours?
Homer: Oh, why do you kids have to argue all the time?
Lisa: 'cause she wants things her way instead of the right way!

27x11

Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles
Turtles-Simpsons-27x11-Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles.jpg
  • The title is obviously a reference to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Bart puts various classroom pets in a candy box Skinner is about to give to the new teacher, including three turtles.


27x15

Lisa the Veterinarian
Turtles-Simpsons-27x15-Lisa the Veterinarian.jpg
Lisa: I know that this is an especially hard time for the other classroom pets, including Mrs. Nibbles, Shelly the Turtle, Sally Mander, Hamilton Fish and Willie's chicken.

????

????

Yeah, I missed a few seasons. About this time I lost access to broadcast TV and the wiki software was broken for a while. Now I'm finally able to catch up.

28x04

Treehouse of Horror XXVII
Turtles-Simpsons-28x04-Treehouse of Horror XXVII.jpg

In the segment called "Dry Hard", Springfield suffers from a drought and Apu resorts to squeezing tortoises and selling "Tortoise Water".

28x15

The Cad and the Hat
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Turtle t-shirts are seen for sale in Sunblock Sam's, a shop on the Springfield boardwalk.

29x02

Springfield Splendor
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Lisa: Mom, I could describe my day to you, and you could draw it for me.
Marge: Okay, but I'm not very good at drawing turtle feet. So if there's any turtles, they're gonna be wearing sneakers.


29x07

Singin' in the Lane
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The opening sequence is replaced with an underwater theme in which Marge's car is a sea turtle.

29x14

Fears of a Clown
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Bart pulls off another prank and is brought before another judge. The judge enters with his son.

Judge: Apologies! Divorced dad. *chuckle* No sitter.
Bart: [mock sincerity] That must be really tough judge. I raised a turtle by myself. Pure hell! Milhouse said he'd help and he just walked away!


NOTE: This episode also had another shot of the bath toy. In high definition, with the redrawing and re-shading it now looks like a strange green octopus with holes in a tentacle instead of a turtle. I'm wondering if they put this turtle line in to draw my attention to the redrawing of the bath toy...? Nah. Why would they know this page exists?

29x15

No Good Read Goes Unpunished
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Bart and Homer go to war, reading The Art of War. After Homer reads that all war is deception, he pretends to be friends with Flanders, disturbing Bart.

Bart: Dad, please, isn't there any way to get the old Homer back?
Homer: Well now, Bart-a-ly, why would you want that balding boob *gasp* oh I said "boob"!
Ned: Uh oh, time for me to do a Turtle! *pulls up sweater* I'll come out when the B-bombs stop flying.
Bart: Please, I want my dad, not this horrible creature from the depths of heaven you've become!


29x19

Left Behind
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Flanders comes to the nuclear plant to look for a job. As he waits, the head of human resources quits.

Burns: Would you like to be the new head of Human Resources?
Flanders: To quote my pet turtle, shell yes!


30x01

Bart's Not Dead
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[Homer is bored with Christian heaven and runs over to Hindu Heaven]

Homer: Please, send me back to Earth.
Vishnu: Yes, yes. You can be a turtle or a pharmaceutical CEO.
Homer: Turtle, please.


30x13

I'm Dancing as Fat as I Can
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Bart stays with Milhouse, who makes him read Yertle the Turtle for a bedtime story.


30x16

I Want You (She's So Heavy)
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Homer and Marge injure themselves at the end of a date. Homer lazes on the couch, listening to Wallace, his imaginary hernia, while Marge dives in to rehab at the beach. The kids realize their parents are drifting apart.

Lisa: Dad, can you drive us down to the beach? I have a school project on... sea turtles.

After arriving at the beach

Homer: Hey, where are the turtles?
Wallace the Hernia: There were no turtles Homer, it's a trick! These kids are trying to help you because they love you.
Homer: So... there never were turtles?
Wallace: No turtles!
Homer: I'm starting to think there were no turtles!


30x18

Bart vs. Itchy & Scratchy
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Krusty shows a blooper reel that includes a tortoise ripping off his pants rather than eating lettuce.

31x05

Gorillas on the Mast
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During a heist at the aquarium, a turtle is seen swimming on a monitor.

31x19

Warrin' Priests
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This one was probably an unintentional reference, but it's still a reference!

Helen Lovejoy: Tim! We could go to Mackinac Island [...]

From Wikipedia: The Anishinaabe peoples in the Straits of Mackinac region likened the shape of the island to that of a turtle so they named it "Mitchimakinak" (Ojibwe: mishimikinaak) "Big Turtle". [...] The French transliterated the work and spelled it as Michilimackinac. The British shortened it to the present name: Mackinac.

31x22

The Way of the Dog
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Episode opening titles shows pictures of departed pets, including a tortoise.


32x01

Undercover Burns
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Burns destroys a pile of balloon animals, in which can be seen a few turtles

32x03

Now Museum, Now You Don't
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In the segment "Lisanardo da Vinci", Lisa thumbs through an art book that shows a picture of Leonardo da Ninji (clearly a TMNT reference)

32x04

Treehouse of Horror XXXI
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During the fight between the Spiderver-- I mean, Homerverse and the Burnsiverse characters, one of the characters is a Bowser-esque version of Burns.

33x03

Treehouse of Horror XXXII
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This episode has two turtle references!

  1. In Bong Joon Ho's This Side of Parasite, the "pool boy" wears turtle floaties.
  2. In Poetic Interlude (The Telltale Bart),
August is always a scorcher;
Bart perfects his turtle torture.

33x06

A Serious Flanders
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Ned counts the money he discovered in a case full of cash, prompting a discussion between Rod and Todd

Rod: We should get a HUGE terrarium, with like a million turtles!
Todd: No, we should get a speedboat with bunk beds on it.
Rod: Turtles!
Todd: Bunk boat!
Rod: Turtles!
Todd: Bunk boat!

33x13

Boyz N The Highlands
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As Martin gets out of the car, he falls over onto his backpack.

Martin: Oh my! I seem to have turtled myself!


Current count: 92 known episodes



Other Stuff

 

Misc

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  • I have a Simpsons figure of Maggie on the back of a turtle
The Simpsons Game
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Turtles-Simpsons-The Simpsons Game2.jpg

In The Simpsons Game, Professor Frink stays behind to marry a Koopa Troopa.

Also, level 4 has a Frogger parody with giant turtles.

2007 Movie

The Simpsons Movie The Turtles are played in the movie. (Happy Together)

2012 Short

Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"
Turtles-Simpsons-2012-The Longest Daycare.jpg

A drawing of a turtle is on the wall behind Maggie when it appears Baby Gerald has killed her butterfly.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,

Coming Out of Their Shells

Turtles-Simpsons-TMNTII.jpg

The references go both ways. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, the Turtles have a Bart Simpson glass in the Lair, which Professor Perry uses to mix the mutagen antidote.

Also, in the Coming Out of Their Shells tour, at one point Michelangelo does an impersonation of Bart saying "Don't have a cow man".

16x17

The Heartbroke Kid NOT a reference

Bart was watching itchy and scratchy. and there was an explosion in itchy and scratchy. for a brief second you could see something that looks like a DEAD TURTLE hurled across the screen. It's just a hat from one of the bystanders.

18x05


25x22


29x14

G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)

The Yellow Badge of Cowardge


Fears of a Clown

Turtles-Simpsons-Bath-toy-comparison.jpg

The Simpsons appear to have a turtle bath toy.

EDIT: In Yellow Badge of Courage it appeared to be a turtle with a pull-string in its mouth. After redrawing and reshading in Fears of a Clown, it appears in high definition to be a strange green octopus with holes in one of its tentacles.


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