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| This guy is more out in the open than he'd like, but a turtle has to take a few risks in order to move from his winter grounds to his summer hideout. |
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| He stood perfectly still while I walked around him and knelt down real close to his face for this shot. His shell is still dusty, meaning he recently came out of hibernation in one of our more distant creek beds. |
The wet-weather or intermittent creeks are running just enough to keep parts of the forest floor damp, a prime condition for mushrooms to form amidst all the decay.
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| Devil's Urn or Devil's Cup popping up in an area we burned last month. Obviously these leaves just got around to dropping recently, or they couldn't be there in that condition now. |
When I left the woods and made my way to our yard (Ha! - that's what we call it, because we mow it, but it ain't no real yard - just greener than dirt), I ran across another turtle - this time a young snapper.
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| This snapper was sassy. No sitting still for him. Every time I tried to pick him up out of the fourteen blades of grass we own to get a better shot of his armored shell, he hissed and lunged with his mouth wide open. |
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I think they are starting to lay eggs right now, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Clint. Is that why they are on the move? And what was that snapper doing in the middle of the field? I thought they stayed close to water.
DeleteI've never seen any snapping turtles around here - just box turtles. That's a crazy story about the one your uncle got after!
ReplyDeleteI caught a 40 pound snapping turtle when I was fishing as a young teen. It was nasty and my older brothers had no choice but to kill it.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to see all of the other turtles roaming around!
Love Box Turtles. Not so much the snappers. Both are on the move around here as well. Thanks for the cute (box) and not-so-cute (snapper) pics today :)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! Love the box turtle. We have a painted turtle living in our little pond. He's a real cutie, but I can do without the snappers. They are so smelly and scary. When I see them walking through our yard to get to the pond I trap them and take them back to the creek.
ReplyDeleteThose mushrooms are really interesting. I don't think I've ever seen those kind here.
I love seeing the turtle out and about. Coincidentally, I posted painted turtles on my blog last Monday. Then it turned colder so I suspect they are back at the bottom of their creek today.
ReplyDeleteGreat turtle pics. Snappers scare me. I avoid them at all costs.
ReplyDeleteRe the tractors in the mall. The mall is a rural malls with little to exhibit except farm equipment. The Rolls was a bit out of place. Couldn't quite understand that myself. ;)
I love Missouri's Box Turtles! Ours are on the move too. I am always afraid CH will get one with the mower. He says he watches for all the critters, I believe him.
ReplyDeletei do not like our snappers. prehistoric critters... love the box turtles, though.
ReplyDeleteThose snappers can be pretty mean little guys. I had one fall in my window well last year and I had a heck of a time getting him out.
ReplyDeletewhen we were little, we use to use nail polish & write our initials on the turtle's back....then look for them days later to see if we would come across them again!!
ReplyDeleteWow, don't think I'd tangle with that larger turtle you spoke about! 16" and biting through a broomstick? Don't think I'd mess with him. Just sayin'.
Deletebe careful of that snapper... they can be dangerous! YiKeS! =)
ReplyDeletewe use to see a little box turtle crawling around our front yard. have not seen him in several years. wonder where he got off to. he was such a beauty. i just watched & would see where he would go. so slow. always wishing to take it all in. check everything out. (:
ReplyDeleteI noticed it was moving time, last road trip I straddled over several of them in my car- most were the little ones, and no snappers- they are craft little devils.
ReplyDeleteI love turtles. When I was a kid I would catch painted turtles, snapping turtles, and even a mud turtle. I would keep them in the water tanks all summer and let them go in the fall. I love your post. What a fun walk.
ReplyDeleteLove your photos and descriptions of the turtles and devil's urns (love that name) -- we need to start checking for morels down by our pond soon. Thank you so much for sharing at Rural Thursdays. Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen an abundance of turtles in our neck of the woods, but maybe we haven't been looking hard enough. Those mushrooms are very interesting!
ReplyDeleteLovely post and pictures :)
ReplyDeleteGlad he didn't latch on to you.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they winter in water and then come onto land.
Wish they wouldn't come in the tall grass on our farm.
Have a blessed weekend! ♥
Hi Charade! WOW! There's nothing like those turtles here where I live, I've loved seeing them, great pics! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Spain
Unfortunately, they are also finding their way into the middle of the roads as well, to enjoy the hot sun. I've seen several there lately and someone could not avoid hitting one of them the other day. It saddens me to see any creature struck by a car.
ReplyDelete