Turtles & Tortoises
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and a beautiful carpet of green...
Even on a grey day, this place was gorgeous... but I will go back on a warmer day so we can sit and take in the surroundings and see the turtles!
I love seeing the turtles basking in the sun on a winter's day at the local park in Portimao, Portugal.
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX. Sony nex5r and Schneider Kreuznach Componar 50/4.5 enlarger lens. The turtles have grown accustomed to the passers by at the entrance to the Center, and they seem to enjoy their theatrics.
This green turtle was one of 20 this particular day that crawled on the Hookipa Park beach on Maui, Hawaii to rest. The turtle had just come ashore and was about to drop its head to sleep.
The green turtle is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Major nesting is done in the French Frigate Shoals but some goes on right here in HI and we ran into one ranger going on a 'turtle nest watch.'
Thank you, so much, for looking!
Painted turtle enjoying a warm Halloween.
Wildwood Lake, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
A green sea turtle seen here was feeding on algae on the lavarock in shallow water at Kahaluu Beach Park, Big Island of Hawaii. Observers are asked to stay 10 feet away at least so zoomed the shot. The turtles don't come up for air very often and when they do you have a few seconds to take the shot.
> ourtravelsaroundtheworld.com/back-to-the-kona-coast-big-i...
Happily it is spring again and my winter hibernation season is over, along with that of the turtles. But just to prove to my flickr friends I did go out one day in January, here is a photo with ice in it. :-)
Different kinds of turtles hibernate in different ways. Most water turtles go deep into the pond and snuggle down into some mud and leaves at the bottom. Then they let themselves get cold. Their bodies slow down so they don't need to eat anymore. Their hearts slow down too so that they beat only once every few minutes. They stop breathing through their lungs. Because their bodies are running at such a slow speed, they don't need much oxygen, but they do need some. They can get the small amount of oxygen they need from the water. It sinks in through some specialized skin cells that are just inside the tail opening. That's right! They "breathe" through their tails! Water turtles can stay like this for two or three months.
Two Red-eared Slider Turtles bask themselves in the warm sunshine. I'm seeing more and more rather large turtles, some appear to have been well taken care of which leads me to believe someone has let them go in the canal due to their size.
Don't let that smiley face fool you. These turtles can be feisty when out of water. Snapping turtles roamed the earth with the dinosaurs and have a strong bite but contrary to popular belief they cannot bite your finger off. They range from Canada to Florida. Their numbers may be in decline in some areas where trapping is legal. If you really want to get up close and personal with this snapper, view in Large! Didn't need 5 frames a second for this capture.
Being close to a large pound, we have many turtles that come on our property to lay their eggs. This one was on our driveway. Not 100% certain, but I think it's a Blanding Turtle, by the shape of it's shell, which looks like a helmet, and the strong yellow marking on her neck.
...or at least ready for takeoff...
There is growing evidence that turtles have a secret desire to fly. There have been several eye witness accounts and actual images of said turtles, practicing what appears to be flight postures, with legs and head elevated.
This theory is in the process of being investigated. ..... :)
See another image of a turtle trying to fly in 1st comment box :)
This little guy is at a place where they rehabilitate wild animals that are found, the place has been there since my kids were little, I guess it's a good thing that most of the cages were empty, only 4 or so occupied, means less in need of help... my Grandson enjoyed the trek around and up to the park... so it was cool, made for some good pics...
Some turtles snap and some are bored and yawn. After watching this turtle for some time, I'm convinced that both of us were a little bored, and this was a yawn.
These turtles are very invasive, this baby was taken at our park, gently picked it up for a photo then placed it in the same spot,
in Quetico Provincial Park. After three very cold (for August) days, this day proved sunny and warm and as we paddled down Pickerel River, we noticed lots of these creatures sunning themselves near the shore.