Nice!
I love turtles. We have a lot of them on the farm. --Erik

You know...you can cook them in their shell 😈

Just kidding. 😯

Very cool, nice find. 😀

Sometimes I find the Central Asia tortilla in my garden. Always wondering what this creature is doing here. It must be found 100 km from my place in a semi-desert area...

Thanks!

I did see the coloured underside when I inadvertently dropped him (oops) while I was running to place him in the pond.

Re turtle habitat, I was surprised to hear how often they're away from water.
Igor, maybe there are lots of garden ponds in your area?

People here say there's an area near the lake where female turtles cross the highway (or try to!) as their nests are on the other side
😕
The orioles are back and nesting, hummingbirds are buzzing around the feeder, life is good!

Barb

Barb, my "monster" is not a water inhabitant. Strictly desert animal.

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Igor,
The "monster" likely adapted to drying conditions over millions of years.

Barb

So cool barb. Do you think it came from hanging around your pond? Got a humming bird feeder. No little helicopters yet. No hanging baskets yet either to attract them.

John

Do you think it came from hanging around your pond

Didn't quite tell you the whole story.

Last year a friend brought over two adult painted turtles to--in his words--keep them from getting squished on the highway.
After he released them into our pond, they struggled to get out over the boulder-lined edges (they like muddy banks).
A day later we saw them a few acres away heading back in the direction that the friend lived.
And we vowed to never again mess with nature, as the two adult turtles were probably looking for their established nests 3 miles away.

So maybe they overwintered here after all.
There's a warning on the painted turtle website re salmonella and handling the turtles.
Probably a good warning just to keep idiots like me and friend from relocating them.

Our hummingbird feeder is used by 4 hummers, every two days I have to refill the supply.
Hungry little buggers.
Someone near you is feeding them, they'll visit your feeder too.

Lots of blooming orchard trees everywhere, now apple (after cherry and pear and apricot).
They're even buzzing around the lilac bushes.

Barb

a turtle!!!
i love turtles too. had few californian red ear turtles. also had one testudo hermanni , native to croatia and balkan.
here is pic ;)))

and the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soDZBW-1P04

hahahahahaha ;)))))

Funny man, damir! :cheers:

Great song!

Barb