When it gets too hot, box turtles go to the mud.
This is not a tortoise. It’s actually a derived lineage of aquatic turtle that lives in the land.
This is about as aquatic as they get. They actually are very poor swimmers.
The red eyes and very bright coloration tell you that this is a male box turtle. This particular individual and I have a history that goes back at least a decade.
I see them on the roads all the time. I always stop to move them when I can safely do so. I hate to see them smashed on the highway.
Ah, nothin’ like a dip in the pool on a hot day, but where’d I put that beer?