Monday, October 20, 2014

Turtle Troubles

This is a Painted Turtle I photographed yesterday morning while birding at Lyons City Park. When I got back home I checked myself on the Oregon Depart of Fish & Wildlife website, and discovered that our native species, the Western Painted Turtle does not look the same in that it is without red marks on the top shell and the bottom shell is red with black marking not a solid yellow. Hmmm, troubles. Next, I Googled Painted Turtle and from the Wikipedia page it looks the most like a Southern Painted Turtle with a solid yellow lower shell and bright red marks on the top shell.  If that’s true, how did it get here, because the range for the Southern species is shown as Arkansas, Mississippi, & Louisiana? Hmm, more troubles. Was this turtle abducted from some place in the South and released unharmed in this pond in Lyons Oregon? ---- If you or anyone you know, knows anything about a missing a turtle please contact me. 

1 comment:

  1. He is beautiful..welcome to Oregon!
    Stephanie

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