Cute scutes!
This little turtle was down at the soggy, but not deep pond the other day. I snatched him up for a few embarrassing ID type photos and then released him.
I never did get a photo of him arching his surprisingly long neck back and over his carapace while trying to get a bite of me.
It was impressive.
Nice nails.
The sharp end.
These turtles eat small aquatic critters, like snails and crawfish.
Apparently it likes poo too.
One web site had this statement about mud turtles ... "It is sometimes seen feeding on manure, which accounts for it being referred to as the "Cow Dung Cooter".
There are better nick names out there, for sure.
"Cow Dung Cooter" makes "Mud Turtle" sound positively poetic.
Now I must come out of my shell and go back to painting the house.
Enjoy YOUR Saturday!
10 comments:
Nothing like a turtle to make the day better.
Great shots of him! Love to see turtles, don't get to that often.
such a handsome creature! and brave -- you deserved to be bitten, you giant human, you.
Thanks! I now have a new name to fling the next time I get into an argument (I like to be creative when that happens).
"Cow Dung Cooter" sounds like a great redneck country band name. You have much more diversity in turtles than we have here.
He's a cutie for sure!
I have had red footed tortioses and a huge Sulcata, they all ate poo! something having to do with beneficial bacteria. Too bad they dont have turtle yogurt!!
Wow, what great photos! I keep learning so many flora and fauna tips from my FL bloggy friends. And I take away inspiration to improve my own photography skills too. Thanks!
Cool looking little dude, or dudette, which ever is appropriate!
The Florida Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum steindachneri) seems to be the species found in Levy County - the museum in Gainesville has one from Levy, anyway, and doesn't have any specimens of Eastern Mud Turtle (K. subrubrum subrubrum). It's not a musk turtle, and it's not a Striped Mud.
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