This guy seemed totally unimpressed with getting his picture snapped....I got right down on the ground and got right in his face. He/she was coming through a gap in a fencerow...had a path made....this was a regular route...and it was turtle sized.
A face only a mother could love
Oh My!!! What kind is it??
Judy
Thanks for posting Judy...I lost this thread! thought I'd put it in Wildlife and couldn't figure out where it went!
I'll get Terry to move it over...obviously it isn't a butterfly or a hummer.
I think it's some sort of mud turtle/snapper type...someone will ID it once we get it moved over.
LOL...I was going to post earlier "which is it, a butterfly or a hummer?" but didn't want it to be taken seriously. I kind of thought maybe it was in the wrong forum. lol That's ok, a change of scenery is ok! Wanna see my frog?
Looks like a painted turtle to me, if you have more photos and a location of the picture. you might want to contact MSU as there is no confirmed data of it being around these parts.
http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/howard.whiteman/field/reptiles/paintedturtle.html
Later
Dave
Here's a full shot...not really as good, but you can tell what he/she looks like anyway. It had mud all over it's back and is about a foot long.
It didn't have the 'classic snapper' shape, but isn't a regular box turtle or terrapin either.
I'll google around and see if something hits.
Well how about that...someone at MSU might love that face too now!
It's not a snapper, but is definitely a water turtle. This time of year the females leave the water - sometimes for quite a distance - to find a spot to lay their eggs.
My guess would be something in the Slider family - perhaps a Chicken Turtle or Cooter.
I'm sticking with Midland Painted Turtle, it's not a cooter or a RedEar Slider, not even in the neighborhood of the snappers. Is is the home page for local critters as the prior link had no back link.
http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/howard.whiteman/field/reptiles/reptilegallery/common_reptiles_of_kentucky.htm
The pic below in a snapper, it's bite is the second most powerful in the animal word with over 1000 PSI! The Crocodile is number one a mear 2500 PSI.
Painted Turtle is the closest...the mouth just has a different look.
I knew it wasn't a classic Snapper...we have them around here too. Last year one walked up my driveway that was bigger than my Sheltie (she weighs 32 pounds) It just had a 'meat eater' looking mouth.
Should I send this image to MSU?
I thought of Painted Turtles, but am used to seeing them around here with flatter, darker/blacker shells, with some red along the edge. Of course, the red might be there & just isn't showing in the pic.
There is a Eastern Painted turtle a Midland Painted Turtle and a Western Painted Turtle the Eastern and the Midland in these parts. I'm not sure if the Midland is a true breed or a cross breed. I would send check with the KYDFW or MSU or hey I just thought the Nation Station has staff just for this kinda thing might find an e-mail for one on the web or call them to get one.
We caught a 70+ lbs Snapper last year, they can be some mean critters. He was crossing the road and we were trying to help him get out of the road but try telling that to an really old cranky snapper.
Dave
Looks a lot like what we always called a Green Back to me. We used to catch the little ones (about the size of a silver dollar) and sell them at school for a quarter.
But then I really don't know a lot about turtles except to leave the snappers alone.
OMG Davart, I've never seen anything like that! That is one SCARY turtle! yikes!
I got right down on the ground with this turtle. Used the macro in it's face (it was what was on the camera at the time, and I didn't want to change) I never noticed any red, but it was an awfully dirty turtle.
I'll see about hunting down a local who can tell us tomorrow.
A painted turtle will have a little red on it, the older the turtle the less the red a old turtle will have very little, a red ear will have red strips a long the side of it's head at any age and tellow strips in the shell. A Musk turtle which looks a little like both of those has a shell that is not rounded but runs up to a point.
Mel if you don't mind I'll left your photo and send it to a running buddy of mine that is a Vet that works on reptiles and the like he will ID it beyond a shadow of a doubt. The man knows his critters. I'll wait for your OK, as I know some don't like others lefting their photos.
Dave
Go ahead....I never mind as long as folks ask first.
Ok will do I like to ask I've seen some people get pretty emotional about it. Me, I don't care I know who took the pictures. He's not a puter junkie so he might not see the message until tomorrow when he gets to the clinic.
Dave
I've had my PlantFiles images requested several times over the years, and I'm happy to comply,(got one coming out shortly in a Mead-Westvaco publication) but some were found on a commercial site that no one had gotten my permission to use...also used another member's images who also has quite a few here in the PF. (she actually found them)They even re-cropped and removed the copyrights. Dave was quite firm about letting that site know that in no way permission was granted for the image use. They removed them immediately. That's the only snit that I ever threw.
I'm awaiting the answer on the turtle ID....we have a vet in the family and I know how busy they are..so. I'm not expecting it first thing in the morning.
That I agree with, if a commercial site uses my images without my permission, expect a letter from my attorney. Everything I do has a digital watermark so even if they re-crop to remove a image copyright the digital water will remain. Click here for more info ...
http://www.digimarc.com/mypicturemarc/support/tutorial_covert.asp
Yes he is a busy guy, and Monday's he is real busy, if I don't hear from him today I'll call him or drop by his house. I need to see him anyway about something else.
Dave
Speaking of Snappers - look what I unexpectedly unearthed in my veggie garden last spring. Lucky I didn't lose my hand!!!
He was helping you till! Good thing they have long tails and short neck, we find them all the time around here. Mostly in the spring when they are moving to a new pond. I'm surrounded by little ponds here and I guess they just can't share.
Oh you are correct good thing you didn't loose a hand, they don;t let go if they get a hold of something.
This message was edited Aug 22, 2005 9:21 PM
Yes - you're right - she scared the hell out of me!!
Kind soul that I am, however, we did take her for a ride (the pic of her was taken in my truck bed) to a local stream & released her. While I know that many folks hate them, I just couldn't bear to kill her - see far too many smushed in the road.
I always move them too, I'm a sucker for a pretty face! LOL I always look out for critters when I'm on the tractor or anything. I don't want to kill anything if I don't have to, long as they leave me alone I leave them alone. That seems fair.
Well, this one we moved with a shovel - she was BIG. It's hard to tell from the pic, but she was about 2' long x 1' wide with a head the size of a grapefruit.
She was actually buried in the garden compost, & it completely stymied me because the closest farm pond is over a mile away. I have absolutely no idea where she came from.
Like I said before, I feel really really lucky that I didn't end up with missing fingers.
This message was edited Aug 22, 2005 10:39 PM