Newt was already frustrated after I took 30 seconds to take a picture of a wild rose, and I ran back up the hill while he and ReeRee got a drink from the tank to pick up a deer antler, and now he wouldn’t stop to look at the box turtle.
“Back there! ReeRee- a turtle. Did you see him?” I asked.
“Daddy, please, stop, I want to look at the ‘urtle.” she pleaded.
“If we see another turtle I will stop,” Newt responded, his foot never lifting off the gas pedal.
Lucky Newt, we saw another turtle running down the trail road in the last pasture. So he had to stop this time.
The turtle was as thrilled as Newt that we stopped. They had the same sour expression. But at least Newt didn’t pee on us, or scratch us with his claws, or hiss.
You have to pick up turtles between their front and back legs. Or you will get scratched. And tilt the turtle up. Or you will get peed on. Go on- give it a try, ReeRee.
I like turtles. They eat grasshoppers. I hate grasshoppers.
I think the ornate box turtle is a lovely animal. We kept one in our classroom for a few weeks and she had quite the personality. She chose the piano as her home base and knew when it was lunch time because, she waited there everyday around noon for her snack.
Just FYI, the male ornate box turtles have orange eyes.