I Brake For Gopher Turtles! (1 Viewer)

[Edward]

Thanks for the offer of the poisonous snakes, Sparroweye and Phil. I'm sure that the Icelandic customs might raise some objections but it would make things kind of interesting. That must have been painful, Sparroweye. I was actually wondering how often you get to see snakes in the States.

I was disappointed not to see any snakes in Australia, which is the real hotspot for deadly snakes. Many British people are excessively panicky about poisonous creatures when they visit Oz and many Australians seem to delight in increasing their visitors' disquiet by giving them dire warnings of what will happen if they step on a Tiger Snake but I was given some good advice when wandering through the bush in an area where the deadly and aggressive Brown Snake was particularly common, i.e. don't sit on any logs without checking them out first, check what's on the other side of a big log before stepping over it, make plenty of noise walking through long grass. Didn't see any so perhaps I should feel relieved rather than disappointed.
E

 

[Joan & Matt]

Cool pic's, Phil! Those snappers can be awesome, but I do love the beauty of the other types.

Edward, I can't imagine living in a place with no amphibians or reptiles, it seems utterly foreign (oops, is there a - lame- joke in there?): no turtles about, no frogs to sing you to sleep, no slithery salamanders? Oh my!

Sparroweye, would LOVE to see a pic of that black racer snake.

(J)

 

[sparroweye]

Turtles and Black Racers

Joan, I will attempt to photgraph my black racer. The current
resident is probably not the huge one that used to hang from
the oak tree's and scare the dickens out of me. This one is
smaller and very skiddish. Usually I will be walking by my fish pond and he will go slithering into the bushes, or into a bush.


Yesterday I passed a very, very small snapping turtle attempting
to cross our barely two lane road. I stradled him, and missed him and so did the car directly behind me, but he was so small I am afraid the next car might have smashed him. Usually I would pull over and move him but traffic was too busy.

Today I spent an unfruitful hour and half crouched behind a tree next to my bee balm trying to catch a closeup of my hummingbird. Arrrrrk.. What birders will do for a photograph!

 

[critter sitter]

Well, here in Interlachen Lake Estate Florida where Pauloly
and I live we have many Gopher turtle and their nests. They
are endangered because their nests have been destroyed in
many places. Also they have some sort of respiratory disease.
Well, the other day while driving through the estates on my way
home I spied one trying to cross the road. I pulled over and
placed him on the other side on the grass near the lake he
was heading for. I need a t-shirt that says, I brake for turtles.
Anyone else love turtles?

Just found out my neighbor rescued a baby, don't know all the details, but I thought any protected species had to be set free or given up to game authorities. She loved turtles, has a pondfull and I think plans to keep this one in the yard.Dont want to cause trouble for her, just want know so I can tell her for the good of the turtle.
Thanks
Tina