Thrills of Today (Very Little About Garters)

[Garter_Gertie]

Saved a Painted Turtle crossing the road. Know why? He wanted to get to the other side! LOL!!! Sorry...

Pretty big one; took two hand to hold him, "Yurtle." Brought him into work with me and filled up a tank with water and rocks and Yurtle's tolerating being captive. I'll let him go tomorrow nite when I leave work.

I was looking for snakes along the road, sunning. I'm so jealous o'you guys - it sounds like you just step out your back door and find a snake all the time. I never find one!

So, Yurtle's beside me and I slam on the breaks for a snapping turtle on the side of the road. Pulled over and ran up to it afraid it was dead. Nope! SHE was quite alive and was laying eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I lay down behind her, on the shoulder o'the road, with my nose just inches from her keester. If she'd flicked her tail I'd have gotten a broken nose.

So for an hour I watched her plop her eggs - one, then two, then one, then two - sometimes covering them between 'plops.' I was absolutely FASCINATED! The sound of the eggs coming out and landing in the sandy hole was was a gentle sound like two fine porcelin (sp?) pieces gently rubbing together. Very neat, soft sound.

I 'midwifed' her until she was finished and then helped her cover her eggs. It's fascinating how they do it - with the bottom of their hind feet and also with a 'fist' using their knuckles. And watching her stretch her legs out or behind to grab sand. And all of this in vvveeerrryyyyy ssssllllooooowwww mmmooottttiiioooonnnnnn.

When she was done I tried to pick her up by the sides of her shell. Bad idea. They can whip their heads around FAST and FAR. She wouldn't chomp onto a stick - just 'snap' at it. I was left with no alternative but to pick her up by the tail and haul her away down the hill well away from the road. I was afraid she'd stagger off across the country road and get smooshed. Not my sister, no way.

I'm going to watch the site - if the racoons don't get the eggs - and see if I can be there when they hatch. So I can make sure they go DOWN the hill to the river and not ACROSS the road to be smooshed to death.

A once in a lifetime experience. Just wonderful.

And Winnie - I'd missed her SO MUCH! - ate two fish as I posted. I tried letting her swim, but she didn't like it.

What a WONDERFUL day!

[el lobo]

Cool. that is awesome.

[ScimitarX]

Wow, what an awesome story!

[Garter_Gertie]

Isn't that AWESOME?!!! I was late to work and walked in and said, holding Yurtle, "I'm sorry I'm late but I had something more important to do."

Dave goes, "Find a painted turtle?"

"Well, yeah, that too. I saved it... blah, blah, blah. But - DIDN'T YOU SEE IT WHEN YOU CAME IN??? - I midwifed... blah, blah, blah."

Because we're naturalist geeks and can talk about things like bear scat when we eat, explaining how it smells like a salad, and stuff like that, yes. It was agreed I did have something more important to do than get to work on time.

Now, had I been late because I'd over slept - nah. Wouldn't hold water. But being late because one has experienced nature and 'helped' a sister, furshure. We gotta get our fixes as we come across them!

[Sid]

Sounds like a really awesome day, Gertie. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[anji1971]

What fun for you!
Gertie, I just love reading your little stories. They make me smile!

[drache]

what an awesome experience
and I want that kind of job

[Lori P]

That's just awesome Gertie!! What an amazing experience!!!! I've only come across a turtle lying eggs once, and it was such a fascinating thing to watch. Glad you were there to help her out!!! And thanks for sharing. :-)

[crzy_kevo]

that is amazing i have only ever seen a wild snapper once when i was like 10

[Garter_Gertie]

Lori, funny thing... Coming home tonite, just yards away from where I helped the turtle yesterday was ANOTHER snapper! It wasn't the same one as this one was much smaller and more round. Did the correct thing, grabbed it by the tail and hauled it have way to the river. I swear those creatures have death wishes!

Aw, gee. Thanks Anji!

Rehea, go volunteer at your nearest state park. If you truly work like I do (a minimun of five days/month) and know your stuff maybe you, too, could get a stipend of $20/day. That comes out to about two bucks an hour! But it's not about the money. It's about doing what I'm passionate about. Who said, "If you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life"? If the VC Host/Naturalist Assistant position is ever again made a paying one by the Legislature, they're going to hire me full-time. That will prolly never happen, but (shrugs shoulders) who knows?