turtle visited for breakfast

This morning after I watered, I saw this little guy under one of my tomato plants. He's no doubt waiting for a ripe tomato to fall.... so I brought him some strawberries for breakfast. He's a little box turtle -- they don't bite, just hang outin the the grass in summer and burrow underground in winter. I'm glad to see them -- they are relatives of turtles who have lived here since I was a little girl.




Turtle under tomato ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden )

He's a small one, about as big as my palm. They get to be about the size of a cantaloupe. I have found them as small as a Ritz cracker! He was a shy guy and tucked his head inside his shell when I picked him up. Some of them are very friendly and poke out their heads to say hello.



size of my palm ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden )

 

That's a nice-looking specimen, Daisy. It would be fun if we had such beasts wandering about over here.
I like the looks of that one.

 

Ohhh....how cute!

I would love to have turtles in my gardens. All we have is garter snakes (big ones) who like to eat all the toads.

 

Looks like 'Tommy turtle' is going to enjoy a nice breakfast. He is a cute one. Can't remember how long it has been since I have seen one like that!

 

Around here, all turtles are named "Dooley."
dooley

 

Awww, he is a cutie

 

Ewww on the garter snakes eating the toads, CC.... I just don't have the warm fuzzies for snakes...thankfully there aren't any in my yard (I hope) . Not long ago I went to nursery and a medium size (by my standards, HUGE) black snake slithered across the path and I ALMOST STEPPED ON HIM. Of course, I reacted "like a girl." Needless to say, I was good entertainment.

I call all the turtles "Turtle-boy" -- I don't know why. But I'll call a few Dooley from now on!

My cute friend did have a nice breakfast KG. They love tomatoes and melon and will "learn" to come out for food. ON the other hand, I may not see him again for the rest of the summer.

I am surprised that you don't have water turtles in the canal by your lottie Sjoerd. It looks like a place they would like. They're not friendly though -- a big snapper could bite your finger off, so I've heard (ahh, they probably told us that as kids to keep us out of the water.)

Anyway, I'm rambling.

 

Awww, he's a cute Dooley!

We haven't got turtles in the wild here either, it's way too cold.

 

We find those here in NC too. Sometimes they climb up from a ditch in the backyard. We have resident bunnies too.

 

Well, Daisy--there are no turtles like snappping turtles otr painted turtles here....
However, I stand corrected--there have been some painted turtles found in some of the municipal park ponds recently. I recall now they were causing some sort of problem, so that are trying to remove them. Apparently some children (or parents) let them loose in the ponds a few years ago.

We have some fish, frogs, newts(or salamanders) and a host of water birds that inhabit the canals. No turtles though.

You know, I don't think that the stories that folks told you about the danger of the snapping turtle was exaggerated--I saw a show on them on Discovery last year and they look indeed like a very serious predator.
Have you ever read a book called, Rolf In The Woods by E.T. Seaton? There is a chapter dedicated to a monster snapper in there. It sorta makes one not want to go swimming in lakes anymore.

Now I'm rambling---you're contageous.

 

I thought you would all like to know that Turtle-boy ate every sliver of the strawberries -- every sliver!

I'll have to look up that book you recommended, Sjoerd, to read about the monster snapper! Now THAT might have kept us out of the water...
When we were kids, my best friend and I used to paddle around in a canoe and pull up the crab traps to see what was in them -- besides crabs, eels, fish... never did see a turtle in all those years, but the parents would still scare us over them. Not that it ever worked. We were always in the water, especially when we weren't supposed to be.

GG -- I have some bunn-bunns in my yard this year too. They like the big clover patch over the sidewalk and driveway so (knock on wood) they have pretty much left the veggies alone.

 

Lucky you. We have some in our lake here, along with lots of snappers. None have ever ventured up into my gardens or pond though.

 

I do love your little Dooley.We have lots of snappers in ponds around and you will see large ones crossing the country roads.They will bite back as they can bite a good size stick into.