This morning, while I was pulling weeds in front of the house, my weed removal revealed a round object about 8 inches in diameter. My first thought was that it was a squash, but then I realized it was a turtle with its head and legs pulled in.
I gave the turtle some space and continued to pull weeds a few feet away. Eventually, he popped out his head and legs and sat there checking me out for about fifteen minutes. Then, he decided to hit the road and started walking away very slowly (at a turtle pace).
Forty-five minutes later, he had crossed most of the front yard, but he was heading toward the road and I was worried that one of the neighborhood maniacs might run him over. So, I picked him up and gently deposited him in the woods across the street.
Funny thing is that when I picked him up, he pulled in his head and legs as I expected, but what I did not expect is that as he pulled everything in, there was a whooshing sound just like in a cartoon.
You might find that "he" is a "she" and that she had just finished burying eggs in your yard. We've got a similar visitor who makes the trip every year about this time to dig the same hold and deposit another clutch of eggs.
ReplyDeleteNotice any fresh digging in your yard?
I did not notice any fresh diggings. I will have to look more closely, but I am not sure what to look for.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, there was an egg on the ground about three feet from where I spotted the turtle, but I assumed it was a bird egg that fell out of the nest that is in a tree at that spot.