Thursday, March 1, 2012

cooter



Last weekend we were walking through Flag Ponds Nature Park near our home in Maryland. We walked out on a small pier to a brackish water pond and saw a big turtle right next to the pier. I didn't expect to see any turtle, let alone a big one, since it is still February and the water is still cold. But, it has been a very mild winter, so I guess spring was getting a head start for this guy. It was close enough to get a great picture, except for the fact that I didn't have my camera along. I watched it for a while and hit the online turtle ID sites when I got home.

What I saw was a Northern Red Bellied Cooter.

Cool turtle, and the name just cracks me up! Juvenile - yes. Immature - guilty as charged.

5 comments:

Mark Kautz said...

Hey Joe. I like turtles. Had many growing up. This particular species was a Jeopardy question just last week.

Mark

cofisher said...

Mark! Get a life! Jeopardy? Really?

Very cool, I love turtles but I don't watch Jeopardy.

Anonymous said...

Joe, that is an awesome looking big turtle. My wife loves turtles, we have a few stationed around our home strategically. Their Ceramic!

Kirk said...

Hope all is going well out there Joe. Job has been busy and time for fishing has been very very limited. I will be back at it again because life is too short and to me fishing is life!

Kirk Mantay said...

Are you sure it's not a painted turtle? 60 miles north of you, all that's out are mud, musk, and painteds.

The red bellies are about the last to come out (along with the snappers) - a southern species.