Category Archives: Turtle

Turtle, dogs 2024-06-09

A small turtle crossing the path to the garden. It’s maybe 4 inches long.

[Turtle, dog leg]
Turtle, dog leg

That’s Sky’s dog leg.

None of the dogs noticed until I’d been looking at the turtle for quite some time. Blondie, Honeybun, Sky, and River sniffed and moved along.

I think it’s a box turtle, but I didn’t pick it up to see, since it wasn’t in the way and it was in no danger.

[Turtle and dog leg]
Turtle and dog leg

[Turtle back]
Turtle back

[Turtle front]
Turtle front

-jsq

Turtle in road 2024-05-24

This turtle was in the middle of the road as I drove home. It was in Quarterman Road, near Redeye Creek, which runs to the Withlacoochee River.

[Turtle in road and on the other side]
Turtle in road and on the other side

So I carried it to the other side. It was about a foot long.

What kind of turtle is it?

My guess is river cooter, Pseudemys concinna.

Could be the subspecies Suwannee cooter, Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis. Or the subspecies Eastern river cooter, Pseudemys concinna concinna first described by my cousin John Eatton LeConte Jr. in 1830.

Or maybe a Florida cooter or some other species.

What do you think? Continue reading →

No turtle! 2022-11-01

Blondie brought me this box turtle. I repeated her lesson: no turtle!

[Box turtle, Blondie, Arrow, Honeybun]
Box turtle, Blondie, Arrow, Honeybun

Then I showed the Terrapene carolina to each other dog, with the same lesson. Finally, I put it down by the driveway and we continued on.

-jsq

Francine the Florida Softshell Turtle

Francine out for a walk between the creek and the house:

Nose

Species Profile: Florida Softshell (Apalone ferox) | SREL Herpetology

Like other softshells, the Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox) is a large, flat turtle with skin covering its shell (resembling a pancake). It is the bulkiest of the softshell turtles but inhabits the smallest range. It varies in size with males measuring from 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) and females measuring double that at 11-24 inches (28-61 cm). Adults are usually colored by a dark brown to brownish-gray with dark spots. Also there are usually small dark bumps on the carapace. In juveniles these dark bumps on the carapace are much more easily seen, as they are usually lighter in color than the adults. The carapace of the Florida softshell is covered with longitudinal rows of tubercles that resemble ridges in younger turtles but are less evident in larger turtles. In adult turtles the plastron of the shell usually extends farther than the carapace.
Continue reading →