When we were at the farm recently, we were sitting on the porch and I noticed something moving in the driveway. The way it was moving, and with my glasses kind of dusty from mowing, I thought it might be a snake. So I moved closer...
...it was a turtle, the first one we've seen at the farm. When I got close to it, he (she?) stopped moving and pulled in all the extremities.
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| Texas Box Turtle |
I did some googling and it appears to be a "Texas Box Turtle". It had very pretty markings and looked very healthy and large. I moved away and let him/her be on its way. It was definitely a turtle on a mission. There is a pond site on the property, about 2 acres away, so we're guessing it was on its way to there. Still, we will definitely be on the lookout in the future.
I love when we find new wildlife on the property.
Speaking of, off to the farm today, there most likely won't be much to do, it's hot again (perhaps our hottest day so far) and so I'll just water and keep an eye out for our new turtle friend!
I just love turtles! You have to admire a creature that is so persistent and patient and peaceful! And what gorgeous markings!
ReplyDeleteI never thought about that but you're right. They are definitely persistent but peaceful is a way to describe it!
DeleteI love turtles. They are such weird creatures.
ReplyDeleteAren't they? Like a throwback to an ancient time!
DeleteI don't believe box turtles are water dwellers. I think they are woodland creatures. Probably after your tomatoes :)
ReplyDeleteThey used to do a lot of damage to my grandfather's melon patch.
I didn't know that but you're right it looks like they live in woodland areas under trees etc. Tomatoes?!?!?! Yikes! Well, we've now pulled them all up now so he's out of luck, ha
Deletehow cool! i love turtles!
ReplyDeleteThanks, they are fascinating for sure!
DeleteCareful, they can stretch their necks really really far out to take a bit from your fingers if you are too close. They definitely are beautiful creatures!
ReplyDeleteWhat? Dang, glad I didn't get too close, ha. I will remember that should I decide to pick him up and move him someday, ha.
DeleteI love turtles, too. When I was a child we used to see them all the time. But now, not so much. I'm glad he wasn't in the path of your lawn mower. I read the Wikipedia article about box turtles and it says this, "The females usually have yellowish, brown eyes and the males usually have red or orange eyes." It looks like your turtle had orange eyes, so I'm assuming it's a male. What's his name going to be? I know of one blog turtle called Steve which shows up periodically. Hopefully yours will, too. Next time you see him, pick him up and see if he has a concave area on the bottom, a sure sign of a male.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, I did some googling after your comment and found pics of the eyes and yes, this one definitely had dark red/orange eyes. Kind of scary looking, but at least they move slowly, LOL. I will pick him up and look for that. I'm pretty sure from the stuff I read online that he's a he (markings, claws, eyes, etc), I'll see if I can confirm the next time I see him! :-)
DeleteAnd yes, he will definitely be named. Stay tuned for future sightings, ha.
DeleteAw he looks so cute. Hope you see him again :-) x
ReplyDeleteI hope so too. The property is big but I hope he hangs around one area.
DeleteI don't think I have seen a turtle in years, not even dead on the road. Ed's Pet Store in Birmingham had a one-foot diameter turtle that had the run of the huge store ALL the time. Ed told me to not be frightened of the turtle. I had to use the bathroom with a turtle watching me.
ReplyDeleteI saw one on the road about a year ago but that was the first in years and the last until this one. That is a funny story!!!
DeleteWow. These are exotic pets in the UK so you're very lucky to have this wild in your back yard! He looks cool although we'd call him a tortoise!
ReplyDeleteThanks, it is kind of cool to think we have them (at least one) in the yard like you said. Every week is something new, ha. Nice to hear from you!
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeleteNot to long ago we had a turtle come through the property. He/she actually lifted the fence to get inside. We relocated it to a park near by. They are amazing and love the heat.
Wow, lifted the fence? Dang, he was determined, ha. Well if they love the heat, this one ought to be in his element, ha.
DeleteI agree with SmartAlex, Box Turtles are woodland turtles, look at those digging claws! But he/she may be off towards the pond looking to cool off and/or better foraging; "snails, insects, berries, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, birds, and eggs indiscriminately". (Don't you just love Google!)
ReplyDeleteLOL, goole is good for learning all sorts of things huh? He definitely had some claws. There is all of that diet on the property for sure, he should be happy.
DeleteI too love turtles. The ones around here send an awful 'stink' your way if you pick them up. I don't know how big they get but I think I would prefer them to wombats lifting up your fence. Very hard to keep foxes out when the local wildlife make doors for them!
ReplyDeleteSend a stink? OMG I'm glad these don't do that. Wombats and foxes....definitely something we don't have to deal with here, ha.
Deletethat's a beauty, it always amazes e how fast turtles can move! Its quite cool here, Fall is in he air for sure,
ReplyDeleteThey do have a reputation for being slow but when they are in a run, they are quite fast for their size/shape. Cool air? Sigh...We're at LEAST a month or more away from that. Sigh.
DeleteDid you flip it over to see if it was concave underneath? The male turtles are indented for mounting I believe. :)
ReplyDeleteAh dang. Peg above already beat me to it !
DeleteThat's ok, I haven't done it of course but I'm hoping that I'll see him (pretty sure it's a he) again soon and then I will look for the concave underside. I'll do my best turtle sexing, ha.
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