CRITTERS
AT BRAZOS BEND STATE PARK (AND ELSEWHERE)--TURTLES
This
page was born 08/10/2005. Rickubis designed it. (such as it
is.) Last update: 07/04/2007
Images
and contents on this page copyright © 2002--2006 Richard M. Dashnau
Here are my other Brazos Bend
and/or critter pages:
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OR, FOR OTHER ANIMALS:
Alligators
at Brazos Bend State Park Introduction
Critters at Brazos
Bend State Park Page 1
Snakes-nonvenomous
1-------------------------------------------
Critters
at Brazos Bend State Park Page 3
Snakes-nonvenomous
2-------------------------------------------------Insects,
non-toxic
Snakes-nonvenomous
3------------------------------------------------Spiders
Snakes-venomous------------------------------------------------------Mammals
Birds-Waders----Birds-Raptors---------------------------------
Lizards!--Turtles!
----------------------------------
That's
me on the Elm Lake Trail at BBSP. As I've gotten more pictures of turtles
at the park (and elsewhere), I've gathered enough to start putting them
on a separate page. Here they are!
04/23/2007---This
drama took about 45 minutes to unfold.
I discovered
this turtle (probably one of the "cooters", possibly a Florida cooter Chrysemys
f. floridana) excavating a nest on the Spillway trail. I thought
it would be a good opportunity to film. After a few minutes of watching,
I decided to move a bit closer to find a better camera position. As I did,
I happened to look down at the water's edge, and straight into the eyes
of a stalking alligator! The images and video clips below show the
turtle at work, and a few panning shots to establish the relationship between
the alligator and the turtle. Note the puddle at the turtle's hindquarters.
The turtle urinates on the ground to soften it for digging. It is during
trips back and forth to the water for "refills" that the turtle is vulnerable.
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Video
clips--- part1 turtle
digging wmv 4.3mb part2
pan from gator wmv 1.7mb part3
pan after camera moved wmv 2.6mb
It was
about 20 feet away, and below me. The raised head, the body out of the
water, and its alert appearance told me that it was probably stalking the
turtle--as unlikely as that sounds. I'd heard that alligators would
lie in wait for the nesting turtles and pick them off as they'd return
to the water from a park visitor a couple years ago. It appeared
that I'd blundered into such a situation. I decided to back off and
see what happened. I moved my camera back, to where I thought I'd
be out of the alligator's perceived threat range. After a few minutes,
the alligator backed into the water, but stayed in position. The turtle
continued working.
After
a few minutes more, the alligator climbed ashore, and began to climb the
bank. Although it moved slowly, it did NOT move silently. It made a large
amount of racket, crackling branches and brush. I've mentioned before that
I thought alligators move quietly on land. They do, sometimes. Not this
time. When it was within the growth, the alligator stopped to rest for
a few minutes. The turtle kept working. The alligator moved
a bit more, climbing, and stopped to rest for a few more minutes.
The turtle kept working. The alligator moved again, and finally pushed
through the weeds at the edge of the trail. There was a LOT of noise.
Not quite the stealthy movement of a stalking hunter. However, turtles
don't have ears. So, the turtle kept working. The alligator
moved forward, rested, and then grabbed for the turtle, which--finally
aware of the alligator--moved out of the alligator's jaws! But only for
a few steps. Whereupon both reptiles stopped and eyed each other at touching
distance. What was going on here? Were they both resting? Were they, in
their reptilian way, trying to determine the next course of action? Imagine
the nightmare of watching something that wanted to eat you gathering the
energy to do so while YOU were trying to gather the energy to escape--
if
that is what was happening. The images and video clips below show
this next exchange. Most of the images here are single frames from the
video. I couldn't hope to keep the action in frame for the video
while shooting photos at the same time.
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--
Video
clips--- part4 alligator
starts up hill wmv 4.5mb part5
breaks through the weeds wmv 5.4mb part6
first grab wmv 4.2mb
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------part6
SLOW MOTION wmv 2.6mb
The
alligator tried again, and missed while the turtle slipped out of its jaws.
And actually tried for a total of 5 times. Each time, the turtle moved
just enough to avoid being grabbed. During one rest period, a couple
humans on bicycles passed by, but neither reptile seemed to notice them.
While reviewing the video, I noticed an odd sideways tilting of the turtle's
shell towards the alligator's jaws. It looks like the turtle was pushing
up with the legs on the opposite side. It seemed to prevent the alligator
from getting its bottom jaw under the turtle's shell so it could pick up
the turtle. The alligator rested from 2 to 5 minutes between each attempt--while
the turtle stayed right there near it. Perhaps it's possible that this
is a defensive strategy against the alligator's response to movement.
The images and video clips below show this next exchange.
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Video
clips--- part7 another
grab wmv 3.0mb part8
and another grab wmv 2.7mb part9
and yet another grab wmv 2.3mb
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------part9
SLOW MOTION wmv 3.8mb
After
one more try, the alligator---GAVE UP! One of the park Kabotas was
on the end of the trail, by the water station, at least 100 yards away.
I don't think it drove the alligator off. The alligator walked back down
to the water's edge, while the turtle watched it leave. When the Kabota
approached, the turtle quickly crossed to the other side of the
trail (away from the alligator and across the path of the approaching large
vehicle) and entered the water there. If this is because the alligator
entered the closest water to the turtle, then perhaps turtles are
more aware than we realize. The alligator stayed near the area, and
even bellowed some time later. The images and video clips below show
this next exchange.
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Video
clips--- part10 last
grab wmv 7.2mb part11
alligator walks off wmv 8.0mb
How
did the alligator know the turtle was up there? It couldn't see it, even
though it could have seen it leave the water. If so, then how did it go
through all the plants and come out directly behind the turtle? I believe
that the cloudy skies, which prevented the sun from showing much at all,
is what saved the turtle. Although it wasn't cold, the alligator
wasn't warmed up enough for vigorous movement. This is the second time
I've seen an alligator's unsuccessful attempt at attacking a turtle.
You can see another attempt on my page here,
just scroll down to the entry for 4/30/2006.
I learned
a few things from this. First, a hungry alligator will move from distance
from the water if it perceives a possible meal. Second, once out
of the water, an alligator is not nearly as efficient a hunter as it is
in the water. I suspect if the alligator was warmer, the turtle might not
have made out so well. It also seems strange the the turtle moved around
the alligator's head, instead of just moving straight away from it. Wouldn't
YOU? This last image shows the unfinished turtle's nest. You can see how
how the ground was moistened, and also how the deep excavation had progressed.
She scooped up loads of mud with her paddle-like back feet, and smeared
them to the side. I wouldn't want to dig in this medium with tools, but
the turtles can do it. I tentatively identified the turtle as a "Cooter"
because my field guide to reptiles says that these turtles have a marking
that resembles a small "c" on the top edge of the second scute of the carapace
(A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North
America, by Roger Conant 2nd Ed. page 61). My identification is tentative
at best.
One
other point. Most of us think of a turtle using its shell as a sort of
"box". That is-if something threatens it-the turtle withdraws into its
shell. Box Turtles have hinges on their lower shell (plastron) that allows
their shells to close tightly. Many of us have seen turtles of all sizes
hide by withdrawing into their shell (I have), with the exception of Snapping
Turtles. Snapping Turtles use their shell in a more dynamic manner,
as shown on the same page linked
above under the entry for May 8, 2005. Snapping turtles use a combination
of shell dipping, circling, and snapping for their defense on land.
If this
Cooter had merely withdrawn into its shell, it would probably have been
crunched-up alligator food by now. However, this turtle didn't withdraw
at
all! Instead, it remained fully-extended, and responded to direct attack
with a mobile defensive strategy. How does it work? Is it merely the mechanics
of the shape of the shell working with the force of the jaws closing to
"squirt" the turtle out? Or is it some combination of the smoothness of
the shell foiling the teeth's ability to snag and/or penetrate along with
the turtle actively responding to force (jaw compression) by moving out
of its way as its brought to bear? That is, its reflexes and instincts
respond this way--the turtle isn't thinking about it. In any case, do NOT
try this at home--or anywhere else. Very impressive!
----------------
03/11
thru 03/27/2007---It's spring! With the spring
comes Alligator Mating Season, and the return of all the reptiles and arthropods
I like to see. With water levels still high throughout the park, I'm hoping
for lots of alligator nesting this year. I thought I'd share
a few images of what's been going on at the park. This is, of course, Brazos
Bend State Park.
The
images below show a pond turtle that has apparently had a narrow escape.
There is a line of deep holes across the top of its shell, a number of
scratches, and the rear of its shell is cracked. I first saw it on March
11. The last time (so far) I've seen it is March 27. In all cases, I've
only seen it basking. In the last couple days I saw it, it was basking
on the same log. I hope the turtle survives. I wonder how it escaped the
alligator in the first place. Many turtles don't escape, and I have examples
of this on my pages here.
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-LUCKY
ON MARCH 11, 2007 -
--MARCH 11, CLOSER----------MARCH
11, REAR OF SHELL---LUCKY
ON MARCH 26, 2007--LUCKY
ON MARCH 27, 2007- LUCKY
ON MARCH 27, 2007
July
09, 2006--I was about 3 miles away from BBSP
when I passed a large Common Snapping Turtle walking towards the road.
I turned around, picked it up, and put it into my car. Then, when I got
to the park, I rigged a makeshift bag from a towel, and carried the turtle
about a half-mile into the park, where I released it. I treated the turtle
gently at all times, and the towel worked well to keep it subdued and unable
to bite.
I shot
some video of this little adventure. The images below are frames from the
video, and there are two clips below. The first clip shows me walking towards
the camera with the turtle(I trimmed it for length). One really cool thing
about the clip--besides the fact that I'm walking with one of my favorite
creatures safely in hand--is that I am WALKING. I'm walking on my new titanium-ceramic
hip that's just over a year old. THAT is really cool!
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--
HERE I COME
WALKING UP THE TRAIL
TO THE WATER'S EDGE I WANT
MY TOWEL BACK BY THE EDGE OF THE SHELL
MOVING A LITTEL CLOSER
Rick walks with the turtle
clip 3000 kb wmv
Rick releases the Snapping
Turtle clip 21,000 kb wmv
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LOOK! WATER!
IS IT SAFE?
THERE IT GOES!
SUBMERGED
The
second clip shows the turtle being released. Note that I when I held it
by the rear edges of its shell, I kept its back feet off the ground. This
prevented it from being able to turn quickly. Then, when it tried to turn
with the front legs, I let the thrust move it forward instead of
around. That gave it a kind of "wheel-barrow" motion as it tried to to
turn alternately with each leg. When I finally got it to the water's edge,
the turtle waited about 15 minutes before it extended its head finally
moved into the water. Again, I've edited the clip for length. It's only
about 2 minutes long. You can see other clips and photos of other
Snapping Turtles I've encountered on this
page.
While
I was watching the turtle, I was also watching for alligators. I chose
the spot I did because the water had recently risen there, and the current
(which flows to my left) would bring the turtle to deeper water and better
cover from alligators. A few weeks before I'd seen a very interesting alligator
reaction very near where I was. A turtle on the bank is in high risk position
for notice by an alligator, and I watched to be sure none were approaching
while the turtle was in that vulnerable spot (squatting at the water's
edge also put ME in a vulnerable spot. Do NOT do this!). That
was why I didn't toss the turtle into the water, or do anything else to
disturb the surface or make too much noise. At any rate, the turtle was
in a much better position than the one I found it in--on the edge of a
highway.
Note
that I've moved a turtle only a few miles. I did it only because I didn't
want to leave it on the road. Releasing a turtle that's been in captivity
for a long time, or a non-native turtle can pose some hazards. In both
cases, those turtles can harbor parasites or disease organisms in large
quantities. Releasing the turtle in those cases can also release
organisms dangerous to the native turtles.
Oh...in
the second clip I'm bending and squatting with that new prosthetic hip,
too. That is just unbelievably GREAT!
4/30/2006--For
about a week, a very large softshell turtle had been swimming in Elm Lake
near piers 4 and 5. I encountered it myself. Later, I saw it on one of
the islands across from the piers which had recently had all the trees
cut down. Directly behind the turtle was a small alligator, about 3 or
4 feet long. It appeared that the softshell turtle was digging a nest.
It also appeared that the alligator was aware of this. Here are two short
clips condensed from video footage I shot while I watched what happened.
What
happens in the first clip (
SOFTSHELL1 WMV 5.7 MB )
could be perhaps the most laid-back alligator "pounce" I've ever seen---or
it could be a more subtle attempt to remove the "lid" from a nice pile
of fresh turtle eggs.
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THIS CAN'T BE GOOD
COME WITH ME, I'M FEARSOME! COME
WITH ME, ER, PLEASE?
As the
first clip shows, however, the turtle is not without some defence, though
I couldn't tell if the move was deliberate or not. Here's a slow-motion
view of the turtle's move. It appears that no contact is actually made.
(
SOFTSHELL SLOW WMV 1.0 MB
)
--
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--
--
AT REST
REAR SHELL TIPS UP
"BAM!" OR "SWISH!"
THE FOOT GOES BACK
FINALLY, GATOR REACTS
DANG! TURTLE IS *QUICK*!
The
second clip (
SOFTSHELL2 WMV 4.7 MB )
shows another attempt by the alligator, with different--though not more
desireable--results. I don't know what made the alligator retreat after
this, though I have my suspicions. Female turtles are known to soften the
ground they are excavating for a nest by urinating on it. If an alligator's
nose happened to be nearby when this softening occurred, it might be...less
than pleasant.
August
07, 2005-- This
started about a month ago. One of the BBSP volunteers (that would be John),
reported a Softshell Turtle (these are probably Eastern Spiny Softshells)
laying eggs near one of the trail. I've already mentioned how the turtles
(most frequently Redeared Sliders) can be observed laying eggs through
the spring (see this page
for more details). Softshell eggs are quite uncommon. I've seen adult
Softshell turtles from time to time at the park, but they're very shy.
I rarely see one in camera range. It was decided to retrieve the eggs and
hatch them. I believe this was either in late May or Early June.
Finally,
the eggs were ready to hatch! The decision to hatch them was made after
one actually poked its nose through its eggshell around August 3rd. They
were given a few more days to hatch on their own, and when they didn't,
the eggs were opened. I just happened to walk in to the VC/NC when this
was being done, and watched a few eggs opened.
Then,
I got one of the last ones and hatched it myself! Not one to waste a photo
opportunity (well, I can usually take advantage of one), I would
make a few cuts, put down my scissors, pick up my camera, and take a picture:
then pick up the scissors, and continue. Sometimes pictures taken at the
spur of the moment come out, sometimes they don't. I believe I got lucky
this time. The RICKUBISCAM shows one of my pictures.
So,
the following series shows the entry of a brand-new Softshell Turtle into
the world.
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THE EGG
FIRST FEW SNIPS DANG!
IT'S BIG OUT THERE! GET ME OUT OF THIS BAG
I'M FREE!
The
egg is small and almost round (see THE EGG, above). I carefully and gently
broke through the shell with the point of my scissors, and opened a small
spot. A tiny face peered out of the hole (see FIRST FEW, and DANG, above).
Working quickly and carefully, I pulled the rest of the shell away from
the turtle. It remained inside another membrane, which was crystal-clear.
Still, you can see how he's tightly bundled in it, with those wide eyes
staring out (see GET ME OUT, above).
I wasn't
quite sure how to proceed, since I couldn't tell where the membrane was.
As I watched, though, the turtle broke free on its own, stretching its
neck and legs. Then, it took its first breath of air (see I'M FREE, above).
This turtle had a somewhat larger yolk sac then the others. A look at its
back shows the creases in its shell (pointed out be Sharon) that
allowed it to fold into the ball-shaped egg (see CREASED FROM PACKAGING,
below). Right from the start, these youngsters moved with vigour and wide-eyed
attention. A few minutes after placing "my" hatchling in with the others,
I picked one at random and took picture showing its yolk sac (see YOLK
SAC, below). Notice how it's holding on and pushing with its legs--wide-eyed
and ready to get to the job of survival! Finally, I took a few pictures
trying to get a group of them--which was difficult because they were moving
around (see CLUSTER OF BABIES, below). While doing this, I took a few video
clips, and here are two short ones, which I show a frame of each from.
(see SHORT VIDEO 01, and O2, below). We hatched out 16 babies. I heard
today that one of them (possibly mine, but I hope not) didn't make it.
While that may seem sad, consider that if these eggs had been left where
they had been deposited there is a very good possibility that all
of them would not have survived. The eggs might have died outright from
the dryness, or be being plundered by raccoons or some other animal. The
hatchlings (with those soft shells) would be easy prey for any number of
native carnivores in the park.
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CREASED FROM PACKAGING
THE YOLK SAC
CLUSTER OF BABIES SHORT
VIDEO CLIP O1 287kb SHORT
VIDEO CLIP O2 250kb
As if
this wasn't enough baby turtles--the same day a very nice young girl came
in to the visitor center with something cupped in her hand. She had rescued
it walking on one of our trails. When she opened her hand, we were all
surprised. It was a baby Musk Turtle, or Stinkpot! What was amazing was
the size of this fully-formed baby turtle. It was TINY! The picture below
shows the little one resting on my fingers (see LITTLE STINKPOT, below).
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LITTLE STINKPOT
May 08,
2005As
I was driving towards the Visitor Center/Nature Center at the park, Park
Naturalist Sharon Hanzik, who was driving ahead of me, pulled over and
motioned for me to do the same. When I walked up, she told me that a Snapping
Turtle had just crossed the road. She then left, and I was able to take
some more pictures of one of my favorite reptiles.
As I
approached the turtle, it reared up in the typical defense posture. Unlike
the other Snapper that I had taken pictures of, this one was on its own
ground, and felt as if it could defend itself.
As I
watched, I saw that the Snapping Turtle's defensive strategy is actually
quite a bit more complex than just snapping at whatever moves in front
of it. First, as I approached it, it pushed up with its rear legs, which
elevated the back of the shell--which is armed with sharpened scutes along
the rear edge--and also lowered the front of its shell, and drew its head
back into the shell. Along with this, it would slowly turn so its front
was always towards me.
Now,
I only did the following for educational purposes. I don't encourage antagonizing
or bothering any wildlife. I also didn't have any other choice but to lift
the turtle as I did. I did it only briefly each time. Ever since I was
a young, I've handled Snapping Turtles this way, and would not have if
I thought it would injure the turtle. According to the website Chelydra.org,
this is not the preferred manner of handling a large Snapper. I want to
make this clear to everyone.
Grabbing
a large stick, I slowly placed it near one side of the turtle. It lifted
its shell as I described, leaning towards the stick, as the images below
(frames from a video clip)show. When I moved the stick around to the other
side, the turtle leaned towards it on that side.
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STICK ON
THE RIGHT TREMENDOUS
HIND LIFT
STICK TO THE LEFT
LEAN TO THE LEFT
It appears
to me that the turtle, although moving slowly, is using its shell as an
effective shield towards percieved attack. Since its shell doesn't cover
much (images are below), the Snapping Turtle uses its shell much like a
gladiator would use his shield. That is, moving it to where it was necessary.
That's
not all, though. This interesting posture affords a bit more strategy as
well, as this next series of 8 frames shows. As I moved the stick a little
closer to the shell, as an inquisitive or hungry animal might do, the slow-moving
defensive lump suddenly launched an attack! I used successive frames for
the last 7 images in the sequence, and my digital camera shoots clips at
24 frames per second. That head is quick! Sometimes, the turtle
will push with some or all of its feet, launching the shell forward, and
extending the reach and power of its strike.
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CAN I GET FOOD UNDER
HERE? SNIFF
SNIFF
YOU'D
BETTER
By
pushing up with its hind legs and pulling in the front, the Snapper makes
it much more difficult to lift the front of the shell. The pulled-in front
legs are also cocked and ready to push the shell in either direction if
necessary. The tilted shell also hides most of the head, and makes it difficult
to see where the head is, and where the defensive attack will come from.
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LEAVE
ME
ALONE!
GET IT?
With
the added to the rotating behavior I've already mentioned, a possible predator
would always be confronted by the downward-tilted front of the shell as
the predator circled the turtle. If it (the predator) became more frustrated,
it might try to move in and lift the front of the shell, with disastrous
results. It seems like a quite efficient defence. The turtle forces
its antagonist to concentrate on the obstacle of moving around the shell,
meanwhile causing the focus to be on the front of its shell--which is where
it best counterattacks with surprising speed. Although not shown here,
that neck and broad head can extend for a long distance over the turtle's
back, and if the turtle is somehow seized from behind, it can just
about reach anywhere on its shell. The sudden snap to the rear, as
well as clawing from the strong-webbed rear legs (today's RICKUBISCAM),
can make a predator release its hold--which would allow the turtle to turn
and defend again. Here are two short video clips
of the
defensive behavior. The first is a single
"lean" with snap (554kb). The second is a few
"leans" with the high tilt, and a snap (828kb).
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FROM THE TOP
FROM THE SIDE
THE REVEALING BOTTOM
To show
the turtle's shell clearly, I lifted the turtle by its tail (sorry, folks)
and took the pictures above. The top of the shell (carapace) shows the
broad, smooth surface with saw teeth on the rear edge. The side view
shows the massive clawed, webbed feet, and the general "prehistoric-looking"
aspect of the turtle. I'm holding the turle out at arm's length. The bottom
shows the very small bottom shell (plastron). This affords very little
protection.
I finally
brought the turtle into the trees (in the direction it had been crawling)
and released it. It may not be noticeable at first glance, but I
saw that there was a healed crack on the edge of the turtle's shell, possibly
from an old encounter with a car. See the image below. (CRACKED SHELL)
I also took a picture of the turtle with my foot to show some scale. Pretty
good sized turtle! Also, I had to move because the turtle started turning
towards my foot....
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---------------------
CRACKED SHELL
CLOSER VIEW
February
21, 2005
The image below (ANCIENT FACE) shows a close-up of a very old friend of
mine. This is the face of a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina).
I was on my way to BBSP when I happened to see this turtle on the side
of the road as I hurtled by at 50-plus miles an hour. I slowed down, turned
around to pick it up.
-------------------------------------------------------
ANCIENT FACE
I tried
to do the same thing once last year, but the Snapper was halfway across
the highway. I'd turned around, and was speeding back towards the turtle
when I saw a truck coming the other way swerve over and hit it--blasting
it to smithereens. What kind of a pinhead toad would do such a thing?
This
time, I was successful, and I picked the turtle up and put it in the back
of my car. (see PUNGENT HITCHHIKER, below)
We continued
on to the park, where I decided on a spot near an alligator-free zone to
release it. There was a bit of suspense when I opened the back door and
the turtle was gone. I found it (it had crawled forward onto the back seat),
and carried the turtle out and laid it gently onto the ground, and waited
until it decided it was safe to move. I figured it was probably quite disoriented.
--
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PUNGENT HITCHHIKER
HITCHHIKER CLOSER
FROM THE TOP
STARTING TO WALK
The
Common Snapping Turtle is pretty easy to identify. (see FROM THE TOP and
STARTING TO WALK, above) The upper shell is smooth on top, with serrations
(saw teeth) on the back of the shell. It has a huge tail (for a turtle)--almost
as long as the shell. This turtle was about 12 inches long, but they get
to about 20 inches long (I swear I've seen them bigger when I was a child).
The only turtle similar to this species is the Alligator Snapper--but they
have much more prominant keels on the top of the shell, and also an extra
row of shell scutes on the middle side of the upper shell. That is there
are about 4 or 5 scutes in 2 short rows between the ring of small ones
on the edge; and the big ones across the top. There are other differences
as well, which I won't go into here.
Both
species have evolved large heads with long necks. The plastron (the lower
shell) of the Snapping turtle is quite small and offers little protection.
The Snapper has evolved their aggressive defence to make up for this. A
Snapper cornered on land (unless it's been whisked from a road and carried
overland at many times the speed it's used to) will often face it's antagonist.
Then, it will raise its hindquarters slightly and lower the front of its
body. The Snapper will sometimes open its mouth and keep its head withdrawn.
If the antagonist tries to move around the turtle, it will also turn, keeping
its head facing the attacker. If the attacker approaches, then the Snapping
Turtle "fires" its head out, with the jaws closing sometimes with and audible
"snap". The turtle will occasional lunge its entire body forward during
this defensive attack. And, the turtle is not bluffing. If its jaws catch
something, it will grab on and try to bite through.
--
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-------
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IS IT SAFE?
HOOKED BEAK
WHERE'S MR. DEMILLE?
RICK AND MINN
Time
passed, and the Snapper extended its head and started to move (see IS IT
SAFE?, above). Note how the eyes are close to the nose, so that a very
small amount of the head is exposed at the surface of the water.
The hooked, sharp beak is excellent for catching prey, and tearing apart
carrion. (see HOOKED BEAK, above). The eyes are camoulflaged to blend in
with the rest of the face (see MR. DEMILLE, above). When I was growing
up-among the mountains in New York-I spent many summer days following and
watching Snapping Turtles. I'd caught a few, also, and let them go later.
On summer
days, there was a period during the early evening when breezes would still;
and the surface of a lake or a pond would be like a huge pane of glass.
This is when the large Snappers would come to the surface, and I would
watch for them.
Out
in the middle of the lake, a shallow hump (the shell) would break water;
or sometimes a small, irregular knob (the eyes and nose) could be seen.
In either case, soon the top of the head and the shell would break the
surface, and sometimes-as the turtle took in more air and became more bouyant-the
tip of the tail would show some distance from the shell. To my youthful
eyes, I saw prehistoric creatures cruising around out there. Once, during
one of those few lazy summer days, I was drifting around the lake in a
flatbottom rowboat. I was just lying there, enjoying the sun, when
I felt a slight bump. I slowly and quietly moved to the side of the boat,
and saw that my oars were slowly drifting back and forth. It was an oar
that made the slight bump when it would come near the boat. What made this
interesting was the foot long or so Snapping Turtle that seemed to be following
the oar (it was about the same size as the wide part of the oar) as the
oar drifted back and forth. When the oar drifted away from it, the turtle
slowly paddled towards it with its head and neck extended. When the oar
drifted towards the turtle, the turtle would paddle backwards while withdrawing
its head, but still facing the oar. I watched this for a few minutes
until I shifted from my awkward position and scared the turtle away.
I came
to love many aspects of nature as I was growing up. Probably one of my
most important influences (and probably a big reason I came to enjoy Snapping
Turtles so much) was a book that I'd read back in Elementary School (I
read a LOT while growing up). The name of the book is Minn of the
Mississippi, by Holling Clancy Holling (see RICK AND MINN, above), and
yes, I own a copy of it. That's a webcam shot I took yesterday. The book
is the life story of a Snapping Turtle, illustrated with terrific detailed
paintings and sketches. The margins of the pages are filled with all kinds
of natural history facts.
I hope
I can touch just one person with these pages as much as that book touched
me so many years ago.
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-------
-------
--------
TURTLE BEGINS WALKING
TURTLE WALKING BY
SWIMMING TO FREEDOM!
VIDEO
CLIP 01 434KB
VIDEO CLIP 02 476KB
VIDEO CLIP 03 295KB
This
turtle began walking, and I shot some pictures and some video clips (see
TURTLE BEGINS, and WALKING BY above, or VIDEO
CLIP 01 434KB
and VIDEO
CLIP 02 476KB .)
I decided it was time to release it, so I brought it to the water's edge.
This time, there was no waiting. The turtle saw the water, and went right
for it. (see SWIMMING TO FREEDOM, above, or VIDEO
CLIP 03 295KB
) Compare the speed and grace in the water with the plodding movement on
land. What a difference!
I've
been at BBSP at least once a week for over 3 years and have never seen
a Snapping Turtle in the water, or anywhere else there. I've seen Pond
Turtles, Sliders, Musk Turtles, Box Turtles and Softshell Turtles, but
no Snappers. I was very happy to see this one.
June
13, 2004You
just never know what you will run into on any given day at Brazos Bend
State Park. The image below (TURTLE FACTORY) shows the eggs of a Red-Eared
Slider (or Red-Eared Pond Slider, Chrysemys scripta elegans) as
they are being deposited by a female turtle. ourse. Actually, I've
seen a number of turtles excavating their nests. I've just never been able
to catch one laying eggs. The picture below left (DIFFERENT FEMALE) shows
the face of turtle I caught excavating a nest back in May. There is a closer
look at the eggs (ANOTHER LOOK), and then the remaining two pictures are
frames from short video clips that I took.
-
-
-
-
TURTLE FACTORY
A DIFFERENT FEMALE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE EGGS
AN EGG DROPS INTO THE NEST COVERING THE NEST
ONE EGG DROPS VIDEO 391KBCOVERING
NEST VIDEO 1,232KB
DROP AND ARRANGE EGG VIDEO
664KB
I didn't leave one of the
clips full length, because of file size, but I was able to catch to eggs
dropping with the pause between them. After each egg was deposited, the
female would reach under and set it into place with her left foot (see
the DROP
AND ARRANGE EGG VIDEO 664KB ), then she'd lean
over and release the next egg. One of the park visitors asked me a couple
questions I couldn't answer. According to my Audubon Society Field Guide
to Reptiles and Amphibians, these turtles nest in June and July. The female
lays 1-3 clutches (nests like this one) of 4-23 oval eggs. (That was one
of the questions.) Hatchlings emerge in (and therefore incubation time
is) 2 - 2 1/2 months (that was the second question), but often overwinter
in the nest.
When she finished, the female
efficiently covered the nest, using her broad, webbed hind feet as shovels
and trowels (see COVERING
NEST VIDEO 1,232KB ). Watch as she sweeps
dirt in, and packs it down with the "knuckles" of her rear feet; then sweeps
in more.
My comment about "breakfast"
is unfortunately often true. You'd have to see the surface that these females
sometimes excavate in to believe how hard it is. One thing that the female
will do is urinate on the ground to soften in for her digging. Although
she covers her nest well, this urine may leave a distinctive odor that
egg-stealing carnivors (raccoons, and possibly otters) can detect. I often
see the curled, white remnants of turtle eggs plundered and eaten. In the
images below, I show one of these nests. The first image (PLUNDERED NEST,
below) the excavated nest is in the foreground, and the curled remains
of two shells in the upper left. The next image (RARELY INTACT, below)
shows more of an egg than normally remains. By the way, there were eggshell
remnants from this nest were close (about 1-2 feet) to the water's edge.
A hint, perhaps of where the egg stealers came from and went to. The last
image (SPIDER RESIDENT, below) shows a very small spider has taken advantage
of the turtle's disaster by making a home in the shell. No...I don't think
that spiders raided the nest.
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---------
-----
PLUNDERED NEST AND EGGSHELLS
RARELY INTACT SHELL
SPIDER RESIDENT IN SHELL
Remember
folks, animals at the park belong to the *park*. It is against the law
to harrass, capture or kill just about all of them ; and this includes
our reptiles--such as turtles laying eggs along our trails (one *may* legally
fish in the park (following applicable state fish licensing laws). No frogging
(of ANY kind) or taking of crayfish is allowed.). Please leave our reptiles
and amphibians alone, and let other park visitors enjoy sights like this
one.
A couple
more items: THEY'VE FIXED THE PILANT SLOUGH FLOODGATE! Now,
if we can get some rain and fill it, the Slough should remain filled! Excellent!
And...I've
seen large groups of Nephila Clavipes spiders. Evidently, mass hatchings
have occurred over the last couple weeks (I was busy elsewhere in the park,
so missed checking on the area with the highest concentration of these
spiders for about 2 weeks. Rats....I wanted to see that.) I've tried to
photgraph the groups I've seen, but can't get a good shot that shows both
the size of the clump, and what is *in* the clump.
-------------------------------------------------
RED-EARED SLIDER
May
15, 2004; I saw this female turtle (see RED
EARED SLIDER, above), digging a hole to lay eggs into next to one of the
trails.
June
02, 2002 Now TODAY started out nicely.
As I was driving into the park, I noticed a van coming in the opposite
direction had stopped. When I got closer, I saw that its driver was
allowing a turtle to cross the road. When I got closer, I saw it was a
Box Turtle! I stopped, and carried the turtle across the road. Then I ran
back, got my camera, and snapped a picture. (BOX TURTLE, below) Finally,
after a busy day, I was on my way back to the Visitor's Center, when
I noticed a park visitor looking closely at something in the grass.
As I drove by, I saw him pick up something that looked like a turtle. So,
I turned around and checked to see what it was. It annoys me when visitors
harass our animals. It was a Spiny Softshell Turtle, which I'd been
trying to get a picture of. So, here it is. (SOFTSHELL, below.)
The visitor, it turned out, had rescued the turtle as it was crossing the
road. He was taking pictures of it, also. After this, he released the turtle.
----
---------
BOX TURTLE
SOFTSHELL
If you'd like to know more about the park follow these links:
Brazos
Bend State Park The main page.
Brazos
Bend State Park Volunteer's Page The
volunteer's main page.
Go back to my home page, Welcome
to rickubis.com
Go
back to the RICKUBISCAM page.
Go
back to the See the World
page.
