Friday, April 23, 2010

Turtle Tryst

We call this place Turtle Slough..the Aspen ( Piss Popple or Populus deltoides) is breaking bud.  You can see it in the background..a fine misty green.  Yes, I know it is not much..but it is a beginning!

We have two kinds of turtles in our area, Snapping Turtles ( I  hope I get to see one again this year) and Painted Turtles or what lots of people call Mud Turtles.

Painted Turtles brumate all winter.  This less active state of brumation is brought about by cold weather and the decrease of daylight. They dig down in the mud and their metabolism slows down, they do however drink water from time to time so it is not called hibernation. 
 Anyway..the turtles are now out and about and doing what they do best in the spring..Bask.  They must bask in the sun, they rely on the warmth of the sun to warm them enough to digest their food. Sometimes this basking leads to some other activities.
Far Guy said "There is a cluster of basking happening right here before our eyes."    Ah spring fever..how often have you been at a good old fashioned Turtle Tryst?
There was a wayward turtle that needed rescuing... Chance was afraid of it..the big chicken.  This turtle might have had a hot date on the other side of the road.  He was getting there slow but sure..
Far Guy helped it get across the road..safely out of the way.  Chance stayed safely out of the turtles way.  These little turtles can make a hissing sound.

I like the spring of the year, when things begin to awaken from their long winters nap.  Everyday is an adventure:)

16 comments:

Becca's Dirt said...

Those turtles are getting it on aren't they. Have a good weekend. Buddy sends Chance a rrrffff.

DayPhoto said...

Wonderful informative post, once more, Connie! We do not have turtles here. Not one, unless someone buys one and throws it away, then they die.

Chance is wise, I have seen snapping turtles (the Texas variety).

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

West Side of Straight said...

Oh I'll have to be on the look out for them. We always get some in our yard, and Hooch and Odda are NOT afraid of them. They play with them, and then the poor things die. Last year I removed 4 of them to the lake.

DJan said...

I never heard of brumation, but it makes sense. And Chance is no dummy. I wonder if he's actually smart rather than chicken. Yes, spring is here, and boy does it cause a lot of that basking business! Fun post, Connie.

L. D. said...

I had a pet sidewinder for about three years. I kept him in an aquarium outside during the summer. We had a very heavy rain that filled the tank full of water and he just crawled out. I would say he ran away to go to the Des Moines River, but I bet he crawled away instead. Sidewinders live in Indiana more than in Iowa but I know he found a great place to live. I hope you get to see all the baby turtles.

Merideth in Wyoming said...

Well maybe Chance thought it was a snapping turtle. Those hurt!! And stupid Wyoming women cannot tell the difference either like Border collies.

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

Wow, dirty pictures on the internet! I'd never heard of brumating either...thanks for the new info!

Gail said...

We call these river turtles because that was where we say them.

Rae said...

I think this post calls for an R rating with all the turtle pornography on display here. Thank goodness Far Guy was there to rescue Chance from that 'dangerous' turtle.

Marla said...

Great photos. Our pond is full of turtles. I just wish they would leave a few fish for us now and then. :-)

LadyFi said...

Oh, I long to bask! (We had snow here on Thursday.) And Chance is like Oscar - a real chicken.. but oh so gentle and sweet!

lisa said...

We see snapping turtles a lot but not the painted all that often. I love the picture with the cluster of them together!

Linda said...

We don't have turtles here at all but I had a big red eared slider that was given to me that I kept for years in my fish trough.........awful hard on the fish though. I'd love to see them in the wild. I enjoyed the "one day" flower last post.....I have something like it here and never have found out what it actually is.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

We have the snapper, painted and boxed turtles here in Missouri. I love to see the turtles lined up on a log when we canoe. They sometimes plop one at a time into the water as we pass by.

God bless and have a beautiful day!!!

Andrea said...

We love to see the same thing! In the Delaware estuary there are lots of painted turtles which start basking as soon as the sun warms them enough...it is a sure sign of Spring!! I used to live near wetlands and looked every day for them. And Chance is smart--a little nip on the nose would not only hurt, it would leave a mark! (and although not snappers, they do have bony little bills in there).

Pamela said...

you know I've got to say it again:
How do you take care of a turtle? Flush it down the toilet, and a turtle take care of itself.

That was a "joke" a friend told me when I was about 8. I never forgot it.