The Painted Turtle and the Swamp Monster!
Painted turtles love to be in the sun
The painted turtle is a beautiful turtle that frequents the marshes and wetlands of much of North America.
As a teenager we used to find them peeking their head above the water near lily pads. They also repeatedly lift themselves onto floating logs and rocks with their claws to enjoy the sun. If you
spook them, they disappear into the water very
quickly. But if you are patient, you can watch for their heads peeking above the water to see if you have gone!
I used to swim along the edges of lake marshes with flippers, a mask and snorkel where we rented a cottage for several years. The odd time I would sneak into the marsh nearby being careful to float above the boggy bottom, searching for fish, snakes and turtles.
One day three of my nephews and my sister decided to try to catch a turtle at the nearby marsh. They went to the dock, got in the rowboat and headed for the marsh with a net. After they were a safe distance away, I slipped on the flippers, put on my mask, positioned the snorkel and slipped into the water quietly and began to follow them along the shoreline. I
submerged my body completely under the water, and using the gear they were not able to see me in the choppy waves. I followed behind the boat about twenty yards out very carefully. In about fifteen minutes they reached the marsh, and started gliding amongst the reeds and lily pads quietly trying to find their quarry.
It should be noted, there are no dangerous animals or reptiles where I did this (Canada has no crocodiles, pythons and very few poisonous snakes), so there was nothing to be concerned about.
My sister and her kids were not having much luck catching a turtle. So while they were trying I closed in on their boat zig zagging through the marsh behind them, still undetected and beneath the water. I waited for an opening where their attention was at the front of the boat and I came up swiftly from behind, grabbed the handles at the back of the boat and
lunged forward out of the water rocking it. They were terrified by me thinking they were being attacked by a swamp monster! Within moments we all broke into laughter and to this day it`s a lasting memory we all talk about.
Combining the spirit of adventure and fun is great for the family, and revolving it around nature, such as trying to catch a turtle is always fun. I used to be able to catch turtles in the marsh fairly frequently when I was a teenager, but we always let them go within a few days and they were back off to their home.
As a teenager we used to find them peeking their head above the water near lily pads. They also repeatedly lift themselves onto floating logs and rocks with their claws to enjoy the sun. If you
spook them, they disappear into the water very
quickly. But if you are patient, you can watch for their heads peeking above the water to see if you have gone!
I used to swim along the edges of lake marshes with flippers, a mask and snorkel where we rented a cottage for several years. The odd time I would sneak into the marsh nearby being careful to float above the boggy bottom, searching for fish, snakes and turtles.
One day three of my nephews and my sister decided to try to catch a turtle at the nearby marsh. They went to the dock, got in the rowboat and headed for the marsh with a net. After they were a safe distance away, I slipped on the flippers, put on my mask, positioned the snorkel and slipped into the water quietly and began to follow them along the shoreline. I
submerged my body completely under the water, and using the gear they were not able to see me in the choppy waves. I followed behind the boat about twenty yards out very carefully. In about fifteen minutes they reached the marsh, and started gliding amongst the reeds and lily pads quietly trying to find their quarry.
It should be noted, there are no dangerous animals or reptiles where I did this (Canada has no crocodiles, pythons and very few poisonous snakes), so there was nothing to be concerned about.
My sister and her kids were not having much luck catching a turtle. So while they were trying I closed in on their boat zig zagging through the marsh behind them, still undetected and beneath the water. I waited for an opening where their attention was at the front of the boat and I came up swiftly from behind, grabbed the handles at the back of the boat and
lunged forward out of the water rocking it. They were terrified by me thinking they were being attacked by a swamp monster! Within moments we all broke into laughter and to this day it`s a lasting memory we all talk about.
Combining the spirit of adventure and fun is great for the family, and revolving it around nature, such as trying to catch a turtle is always fun. I used to be able to catch turtles in the marsh fairly frequently when I was a teenager, but we always let them go within a few days and they were back off to their home.
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One time during these cottage days, my friends and I were playing around a large sand dune. The dune was not far from a small river that was fed by the lake. During our fun we came across a number of eggs in the sand. Being curious and
not knowing what they were, we brought them back carefully to our cottage and continued incubating them in the sand. Within a few days the turtles hatched and they were painted turtles! Their first instinct was to go straight to the water, and that`s exactly what they did. It was quite a joyful experience. |
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A baby painted turtle
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Turtles can hide very well!
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Painted turtles are very gentle. Rarely will they bite, and often they retract their head into their shells hoping you will put them down and go away. They are
a treat to see anywhere you go, and really light up the imagination of children. If you catch one, be sure to let it go after a few minutes so they can get on with their busy day.
Painted turtles can live over fifty years, and hibernate in the mud near water. They are very useful as they eat insects and also small fish depending on their size.
Enjoy nature`s wonder and one day you may be lucky enough to see a painted turtle.
Painted turtles can live over fifty years, and hibernate in the mud near water. They are very useful as they eat insects and also small fish depending on their size.
Enjoy nature`s wonder and one day you may be lucky enough to see a painted turtle.
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