Although the extreme heat has largely subsided, we still have relatively high heat and humidity.
And when the weather gets like this, the box turtles look for little mud puddles to soak themselves in.
When I came across this particular turtle, his head was sticking above the water, but as I approached, he pulled it below the surface.
Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina) are actually decreasing in numbers in many parts of their range. Many states now regulate owning and collecting them.
I don’t happen to live in one of them.
In this area, the box turtles are doing fine. I’ve seen many nests this year, and every year, I find juveniles and hatchlings.
So they are doing okay here.
[…] The Retriever, Dog, & Wildlife Blog Posted in Pet Care | Tagged Camera, turtle | Leave a comment […]
We’ve got a female box turtle who parks herself outside the garden fence where the strawberries peek thru. She also lays her eggs in a particular spot in our front yard.
I have 2 Three-toed box turtles; Fast Eddie and Sister Earl. I got them as hatchlings from a guy in Louisiana who breeds them. They are great—Fast Eddie walks all around my apartment.
Those are quite a bit larger than these turtles. I knew a pet store that carried them.
Do they get in the water whenever it gets too hot and humid?
That is so neat that you get to see these fascinating creatures in the wild. No turtles where I live, no snakes either. Thank you for posting these cuties.