Turtle Tracks

I was sitting by the turtle pond just talking to them telling them I missed them. And all of a sudden I see this shell that is lighter in color than is normal. OMG, I think one of the land turtles has fallen in the pond and can't get up. Land turtles are not great swimmers and not smart enough to get themselves out of a precarious situation like a huge pond.

I go into panic mode just knowing my sweet little land turtle will drown. I try to scoop him out but he has grown to a tremendous size. That is odd. He was half that size when I left three weeks ago. Must have been all those worms. He's too big for the net so I call in the cavalry.

Hubby climbs in the pond and searches for the almost drowned land turtle. He does this for me with a heart of gold and true willingness. My hysteria had nothing to do with his pond search. He is such a good man to always come to my rescue. How could I survive without him? Love you snookums!

So he grabs the turtle after several failed attempts and removes the almost drowning land turtle from the pond. Strange - very strange he is not my presumed drowning land turtle. He is a water turtle - but not one of my water turtles. How did he get inside the fence and in the pond? It's an impossibility. A feat only a magician could accomplish. Turtles aren't all that intelligent. I still love them despite that fact.

A mystery of giant proportions. How did this turtle scale a fence and find my turtle pond. Is there a buzz out there in the turtle community about this great place to live? Was it the call of the wild? Is this turtle a closet accrobatist? One escapes out of the pond to the treacherous outside world and another smuggles himself in the pond.


I don't know what the problem is? I give them a wonderful place to live with plenty of food and attention. They have two huge ponds and a very large basking area surrounded by sand. Occasionally they are fed tadpoles, krill and minnows. What more could a turtle ask for? Cooter the biggest of the lot escaped his enclosure while I was on vacation.

I received a call from the neighbor who was caring for them and he said he found the 'big one' walking down the pathway to the backyard. Cooter was just taking a stroll. So Tony picked her up and placed her back in the pond where she belongs. They yard is fenced so she couldn't get out into the dangerous outside world.

Then, the episode circulated around the neighborhood. Turtle escape at the Braun's.

Larry, who is the unofficial mayor of the cul de sac calls Tony and says he has one of my turtles. Tony goes down retrieves the runaway turtle and returns it to the pond. Tony never gave the idea one thought that the house is surrounded by a fence and the turtles can't get out.

This is not my turtle. I have no idea where he came from. He must have heard the word on the street. Now I don't have a clue as what to do with this newcomer? My backyard has become a turtle rescue haven.

Return of the King

About a year ago a very good friend gave me the gift of two turtles. She obviously was not a turtle person. The smallest turtle was a red eared slider about the size of a 50 cent piece and was duly named 'Scarface'. Scarface went to live in my turtle pond with Big Al, Cooter, Cracker, Romeo and Juliet. His small size did not intimidate him at all. He fit right in and began living the 'good life'.

Jim the box turtle received his very own special habitat complete with a mini shallow pond for his morning bathing. He began to live the 'good life.'

And we all lived happily ever after. Well, not exactly. Actually a tragedy happened.
Last November about 6 months ago - Jim went AWOL. He was just gone. I was devastated. I had visions of the hawk that had been hanging around the turtle ponds had snatched him up in those huge talons and carried him off. Next I presumed some wild animal like a raccoon or an armadillo climbed over the fence and absconded with my little pet. The fact that armadillos can't climb a fence did not enter my thoughts. Jim was gone and I felt irresponsible.

On Sunday night we had the storm of the century. It rained - flood style- for hours mixed with bolts of lightening and thunder cracks that stood your arm hair on edge. My turtle ponds overflowed and my pool was close to the brink of sloshing over into the yard.

My morning habits of feeding the turtles and having a little morning chat did not change on that wet Monday morning. I walked outside with my container of turtle food - opened the lid to the turtle enclosure and something caught my attention. Standing still with an outstretched neck staring straight at me was one of the turtles. For the life of me I could comprehend how one of the turtles got out of the enclosed habitat. Must have been the Storm?

I walked over to said buddy still standing statue like watching my every move and I yelled. OMG!!! It was the long lost Jim come home to mamma. The little bugger had been gone for 6 months. I cried. No big ugly hawk had carried him away to a sure death. No rabid infected raccoon stole him in the middle of the night. And of course no clumsy armadillo absconded with my little guy.

Last night Jim received a bigger and better and much more escape proof habitat. And now I expect us to live happily ever after. The end.