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During an afternoon of shooting on the banks of the Piscataquog river in New Boston, NH I came across this little critter. It was just standing (lying?) there, in the shade of a tree on the river bank.
Faithful to the stereotype it wasn't moving very fast and this left me plenty of time to take all the shots I wanted :)
Back at my computer I set out to identify its species and it turns out this is a Wood Turtle -- an endangered species. Cool!
Learn more at: New Hampshire Fish And Game Department
In 1991, Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga was formed. The idea was to give the responsibility for the turtle’s survival to the very people whose economy had depended on harvesting the turtles.
We went to the Caribbean of Barbados for and went snorkeling around a Shipwreck and found this Leatherback Sea Turtles. It was so amazing to have them swimming around us.
Frick! (Yellowbelly Slider) actually let me get close and take photos of him basking. Usually if you go near the tank when they are basking they slide off into the water.
More from our underwater fun in Turtle Bay, Akumal Mexico. Again, I highly recommend spending $150 and getting one of these waterproof cameras if you ever find yourself on a tropical vacation with snorkeling or scuba diving planned. They're so much fun.
TTAXONOMY
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles)
Genus/species: Macrochelys temminckii
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Largest freshwater turtle in the worldweighing 70-80 kg (155-175 lb) with a shell length up to 79 cm (32 in). Their big head can be over 9 in wide with three ridge keels on the broad carapace rising to knobby keels. They usually have algae covering their backs since they spend most of their time under water coming to the surface sometimes as little as 50 min between breaths.
There is an unverified legend that a 183 kg (403 lb) alligator snapping turtle found in the Neosho River in Kansas in 1937. The largest individual on record is a 107 kg (236 lb) turtle in the Brookfield Zoo, Chicago.
The largest individual turtle in the exhibit is over 57 kgs (125) pounds. The smallest is 22 kg (49 pounds) 6-18-15, The rest are likely ~45 kg (100 pounds). California Academy of Sciences.
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Southeastern United States in primarily quiet, muddy freshwater rivers, streams, lakes and ponds that drain into the Gulf of Mexico. Females leave water only to deposit eggs and male occasionally will bask in the sun.
DIET IN THE WILD: Lie-in-wait predator. Rests on substrate with its mouth open and lures fish to its mouth with a movable, pink wormlike tongue appendage. Also takes crayfish, crabs, snails, freshwater mussels, salamanders, snakes, very small alligators, small mammals, water birds, briar roots, wild grapes, acorns, and are scavenges as well.
ACADEMY DIET: They are fed cut trout 2-3 times per week.
REPRODUCTION: Males climb onto the female’s carapace from behind. As in all reptiles, fertilization is internal. Female’s terrestrial nest is approximately within 50m (160 ft). of water. A single clutch of 8-52 eggs (35 average) is laid per year with a 3.5 to 4.5 month incubation period. Warm and low incubation temperatures result in all female neonates. Intermediate incubation temperatures produce mostly males. They mature in 11-13 years and can live to 70 years of age in captivity.
Location: Swamp Main Exhibit
REMARKS: There are currently five female alligator snapping turtles in the Academy’s Swamp. The turtles were brought to the Academy on May 8, 1972 as a confiscation from the San Francisco Airport. They had arrived on a Delta Airlines flight from Georgia and were headed to Ginny’s Charbroiler restaurant on San Bruno Avenue in San Francisco. Tom Tucker, an Aquarium biologist
was the Academy representative. The California Fish & Game Commission adopted regulations restricting snapping turtle importation into California on April 7, 1972, just a month before, thus the turtles were confiscated and sent to the Academy.
1-2-13, 6-18-15
great meadows nwr. concord, ma. status-- listed as "threatened species" in massachusetts (as well as illinois, iowa, minnesota, new york, and wisconsin. listed as "endangered" in maine, nebraska, south dakota, missouri, and nova scotia).
From a recent shoot i did for Eater. You can check out the rest of the set here, dc.eater.com/archives/2014/06/24/crane-turtle-is-chef-ham...
Well, Lenny and Squiggy can no longer be kept in the same tank anymore.
Squiggy is the smaller of the two turtles.
All this time, we thought Squiggy was the boy and Lenny was the girl.
It seems though that Lenny is a boy and Squiggy is either a girl or a small boy.
My Vet can't make up her mind right now. :P
Anyway, Lenny has been a bully towards Squiggy and to make things worse, is trying to mate with Squiggy.
Turtle sex ain't such a bad thing, except for the fact that Lenny bit off Squiggy's finger.
I pass out at Doctor's offices, so i can't deal with missing body parts.
Come out of your shell. Cuaght him/her trying to cross the Paint Creek Trail in Lake Orion, Michigan.
Emydoidea blandingii
April, 2011. Clare County, Michigan.
An adult female Blanding's Turtle that was found in a prairie fen on northern Michigan. The red stain of its carapace is due to the tannins from nearby Cedar Trees.