# Everglades Hike---Chicken Turtle



## cdmay (Dec 22, 2010)

I decided this past Sunday morning that I needed to relax. So I headed down to the Everglades National Park (ENP) for an easy five hour hike/wade through the flooded prairie. A cold front had past by during the night and so early in the day it was both cloudy and rainy. Later on it became quite sunny and nice.
Being a native of the Florida lowlands, high elevations like this can give me nose bleeds but it is worth the risk...







Seeing the stunted cypress trees, many of which are centuries old despite their small stature, is never boring. But then finding ones that had been bent over from some long forgotten hurricane is especially neat for me...











This one had a native _Encyclia tampensis _orchid growing out of the old break in the trunk...









This photo from last spring shows the typical flower from these orchids...





There is some debate about this fantastic old cypress. Some say it is just random hurricane damage while others argue that it is a Native American sign tree, bent on purpose as a marker of some sort. The photo is deceptive as the trunk at the first break is easily as big as a man's waist. This photo was taken last summer and that tree was bare of needles on Sunday...






After about three hours I came upon this sight...





How cool! An adult female chicken turtle...






She didn't like me taking her photo at all...






Maybe it was because I snapped a photo of the striped pants her species is famous for...






The last interesting find of the day was this guy, a Florida cottonmouth...






Neat animal but a bite from them can land you in the hospital. I know, I spent four very boring days in one after getting nailed on my right hand when I was 18 years old.
Last photo. Some larger although still rather stunted cypress. This photo was taken early in the morning as the cold front was still dropping some light rain.
Cypress trees are beautiful even in their dormant state...


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## Yvonne G (Dec 22, 2010)

I've never seen a chicken turtle before. The front legs remind me of snake coloration. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful hike with us. If someone held a gun to my head and told me I HAD to move or get shot, I would pick Florida. Are those cypress trees the ones we get our mulch from?


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## dolfanjack (Dec 22, 2010)

Oh my! ele. 4 ft  I know of beaches here in Oregon higher in ele. then 4 ft. hehehe. I have wanted to visit the everglades ever since I was a kid watching the t.v. show Gental Ben.


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## coreyc (Dec 22, 2010)

Cool pic's 

Cool pic's


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## Tom (Dec 22, 2010)

Great pics Carl. Thanks.


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## terryo (Dec 22, 2010)

There ya go Carl. Now that's some nice "big boy" writing. I always love going with you on your hike's. Thanks for taking us.


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## Candy (Dec 23, 2010)

Hey Carl, did you clean off the shell before you picked her up because she looks dirty in that first picture.  What a mouth she has on her, wow.  You look like you had a great time out there, did your wife go or just you?


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## jackrat (Dec 23, 2010)

emysemys said:


> I've never seen a chicken turtle before. The front legs remind me of snake coloration. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful hike with us. If someone held a gun to my head and told me I HAD to move or get shot, I would pick Florida. Are those cypress trees the ones we get our mulch from?


That is the very same kind that makes the great mulch.


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## cdmay (Dec 23, 2010)

EMYSEMYS: Yes, those are the same kind of cypress trees that mulch is made from. Except that mulch is made from the larger cypress found in north Florida and elsewhere. 
CANDY: The chicken turtle had some mud on her but as soon as I dipped her shell in the water it came right off.
Heck yes, Barb has some miles under her belt wandering with me in the ENP...











She is pretty fearless...






...as long as I'm with her...






Other friends have been with me at various times. This is John Brekken with a nice _Apalone ferox_ we found miles from the Main Park Road... 






I often find these guys sitting in water around the isolated tree islands...






See these too...Bionic Barred Owls






Last photo. Another shot of the N tree...


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## dmmj (Dec 23, 2010)

I have to admit I like the pics, and that is one colorful turtle


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## terryo (Dec 23, 2010)

I'm looking at all the air plants on the trees. A very small one on a piece of bark here sells for at least $15. I can't believe how many are on the trees there. I should come with a big zip lock bag.


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## Neal (Dec 23, 2010)

Nice!


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## cdmay (Dec 23, 2010)

terryo said:


> I'm looking at all the air plants on the trees. A very small one on a piece of bark here sells for at least $15. I can't believe how many are on the trees there. I should come with a big zip lock bag.



My cousin and I collected a single tiny _Encyclia tampensis _orchid off a cypress tree like those from a swamp near my home around 1976. After a few years he moved to California and took it with him as he was (and still is) a big orchid grower. 
Many years later he sent me a photo of him holding that plant up in front himself. You literally could only see his eyes and the top of his head but you could tell by his eyes that he was grinning. That little orchid grew to be a giant mass that was as large as a laundry basket! I think it had over 300 flowers on it in the photo.


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## terryo (Dec 23, 2010)

We call them Butterfly Orchid's or air plants. Very hard to get here.


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