Well, it's another year and soon turtles will be roaming all over looking for places to lay eggs and start the next generation of great chelonians.
Anyway, I was out the other day and even though the temps were in the mid fifties, the sun was out and I managed to get a shot of this nice female Red Eared Slider at Paradise Pond. She was a bit slow but still I watched as she moved around among the Lily Pads searching for Morsels of food. She is the first wild turtle to be photographed this year. I looked around but saw no others. Once she noticed me taking pics she began moving towards me, probably in the hopes i had something to feed her so she wouldn't have to search for any food. I have noticed over the years that RES (Red Eared Sliders) seem to be very adaptable temperature-wise which is probably one of the main reasons that this species is so successful. I have seen them actively swimming and searching for food in temps as low as 40 degrees F. Once temps drop down into the thirties they usually slow down a bit.As many times as I've watched these turtles in the wild I never tire of it. They are truly fascinating and resilient, especially in modern times when so many other species so tenuously cling to life in the 21st century. Enjoy and...Happy New Year!
