A hatchling's adventure #phenology

Have you ever seen a snapping turtle the size of a quarter? I did this morning while walking my dog SiSi. At least I'm pretty sure it's a snapping turtle, based on the shell and general appearance. Why it was walking along the pavement of our township road, away from the nearest ponds will forever remain a puzzle. Since, for the past few days, we've had to walk past the corpse of a small snake that was run over, I promptly picked up the little turtle by the edges of its carapace and brought it back to the house along with SiSi.

snapping turtle hatchling placed in bird bath

Photo by J. Harrington

When I placed the little one on the deck railing for a mug shot, it promptly attempted to scurry (can turtles scurry?) off the railing into a one storey fall. I didn't want that to happen so, again grabbing carapace edges, I picked up our little snapper and placed it in the bird bath, where it quickly made itself right at home. Shortly thereafter, the hatchling was transported to the weedy edge of a nearby pond North of the house and released. We hope all goes well for it while doubting we'll ever see "hide nor hair" of it again. At least we didn't see it headed South on the tarmac as we drove past the release point a couple of hours later. I sort of understand how sea turtles all head down the beach to the sea but I can't begin to picture how a recently hatched turtle has any idea of which way to go.

There's still some ruby-throated hummingbirds at the feeder and, we think, some monarch butterflies in the vicinity. Whitetail fawns have grown remarkably over the Summer and the one we say yesterday evening under the pear tree still had its spots, as did another one we saw along a nearby roadside yesterday or the day before.

The Little Turtle

By Vachel Lindsay

There was a little turtle.

He lived in a box.

He swam in a puddle.

He climbed on the rocks.

He snapped at a mosquito.

He snapped at a flea.

He snapped at a minnow.

And he snapped at me.

He caught the mosquito.

He caught the flea.

He caught the minnow.

But he didn't catch me.

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