Garter_Gertie
06-21-2008, 05:50 PM
Saved a Painted Turtle crossing the road. Know why? He wanted to get to the other side! LOL!!! Sorry...
Pretty big one; took two hand to hold him, "Yurtle." Brought him into work with me and filled up a tank with water and rocks and Yurtle's tolerating being captive. I'll let him go tomorrow nite when I leave work.
I was looking for snakes along the road, sunning. I'm so jealous o'you guys - it sounds like you just step out your back door and find a snake all the time. I never find one!
So, Yurtle's beside me and I slam on the breaks for a snapping turtle on the side of the road. Pulled over and ran up to it afraid it was dead. Nope! SHE was quite alive and was laying eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I lay down behind her, on the shoulder o'the road, with my nose just inches from her keester. If she'd flicked her tail I'd have gotten a broken nose.
So for an hour I watched her plop her eggs - one, then two, then one, then two - sometimes covering them between 'plops.' I was absolutely FASCINATED! The sound of the eggs coming out and landing in the sandy hole was was a gentle sound like two fine porcelin (sp?) pieces gently rubbing together. Very neat, soft sound.
I 'midwifed' her until she was finished and then helped her cover her eggs. It's fascinating how they do it - with the bottom of their hind feet and also with a 'fist' using their knuckles. And watching her stretch her legs out or behind to grab sand. And all of this in vvveeerrryyyyy ssssllllooooowwww mmmooottttiiioooonnnnnn.
When she was done I tried to pick her up by the sides of her shell. Bad idea. They can whip their heads around FAST and FAR. She wouldn't chomp onto a stick - just 'snap' at it. I was left with no alternative but to pick her up by the tail and haul her away down the hill well away from the road. I was afraid she'd stagger off across the country road and get smooshed. Not my sister, no way.
I'm going to watch the site - if the racoons don't get the eggs - and see if I can be there when they hatch. So I can make sure they go DOWN the hill to the river and not ACROSS the road to be smooshed to death.
A once in a lifetime experience. Just wonderful.
And Winnie - I'd missed her SO MUCH! - ate two fish as I posted. I tried letting her swim, but she didn't like it.
What a WONDERFUL day!
Pretty big one; took two hand to hold him, "Yurtle." Brought him into work with me and filled up a tank with water and rocks and Yurtle's tolerating being captive. I'll let him go tomorrow nite when I leave work.
I was looking for snakes along the road, sunning. I'm so jealous o'you guys - it sounds like you just step out your back door and find a snake all the time. I never find one!
So, Yurtle's beside me and I slam on the breaks for a snapping turtle on the side of the road. Pulled over and ran up to it afraid it was dead. Nope! SHE was quite alive and was laying eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I lay down behind her, on the shoulder o'the road, with my nose just inches from her keester. If she'd flicked her tail I'd have gotten a broken nose.
So for an hour I watched her plop her eggs - one, then two, then one, then two - sometimes covering them between 'plops.' I was absolutely FASCINATED! The sound of the eggs coming out and landing in the sandy hole was was a gentle sound like two fine porcelin (sp?) pieces gently rubbing together. Very neat, soft sound.
I 'midwifed' her until she was finished and then helped her cover her eggs. It's fascinating how they do it - with the bottom of their hind feet and also with a 'fist' using their knuckles. And watching her stretch her legs out or behind to grab sand. And all of this in vvveeerrryyyyy ssssllllooooowwww mmmooottttiiioooonnnnnn.
When she was done I tried to pick her up by the sides of her shell. Bad idea. They can whip their heads around FAST and FAR. She wouldn't chomp onto a stick - just 'snap' at it. I was left with no alternative but to pick her up by the tail and haul her away down the hill well away from the road. I was afraid she'd stagger off across the country road and get smooshed. Not my sister, no way.
I'm going to watch the site - if the racoons don't get the eggs - and see if I can be there when they hatch. So I can make sure they go DOWN the hill to the river and not ACROSS the road to be smooshed to death.
A once in a lifetime experience. Just wonderful.
And Winnie - I'd missed her SO MUCH! - ate two fish as I posted. I tried letting her swim, but she didn't like it.
What a WONDERFUL day!