turtle pond

[Yvonne G]

Last year the pond looked a little bare. Over this past winter the clover really took off. I didn't plant it, it came from the aldabran pen, which is next to the pond. Notice the filter, that big black tub on the right. The top of that tub is about 3' high. This a.m. as I was walking past it I saw a little frog in there. How on earth did a frog get in that filter? There is an occasional frog in the actual pond, but the turtles eat them, and there are never any frog eggs in there, let alone poly wogs.

 

[Millerlite]

I've gear if tadpoles getting sucked into be filter and grow up and live in there. Also heard of fish doin the same thing interesting

 

[Rutagonzo]

Wow, that's a really neat looking pond!

 

[Yvonne G]

Thank you. I'm in the process of fencing off the section behind the filter. I'm going to move my gulf coast box turtles into that area.

If you notice the smashed down vegetation in the lower left side of the picture, that's where the big turtles come out and sit in the sun. The big female florida soft shell sits there quite a lot. I always take my camera with me when I go out there to try to catch them out of the water, but as soon as they see me peeking around the corner they dive in.

 

[kjr153]

Simply amazing. You can tell you're a hard worker and really love you some shelled friends.

 

[MikeCow1]

What a very nice pond

 

[lkwagner]

Wow that's awesome! I saved these pictures so I can someday do something just like this! I started off with aquatic turtles before I got the 3 sulcatas

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But depending on what type of frog it was it could of just climbed up the side of it, I have a frog enclosure and some can just climb the glass

 

[Yvonne G]

But depending on what type of frog it was it could of just climbed up the side of it, I have a frog enclosure and some can just climb the glass

I guess that makes sense. More than likely its a bull frog. That's the only kind I've seen around here (not counting the little tree frogs).

 

[kathyth]

I don't know about the frog, but love the pond!
Very nice!

 

[laney]

Wow I love your pond!! I could sit there all day!

 

[wellington]

Beautiful Yvonne, I'm loving it

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Bullfrog?!?! Sound the alarm. In these parts, bullfrogs are an invasive animal charged with wiping out our western pond turtle population. They'll eat what ever they fit in their mouths.

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But I'm lovin' the pond.

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[Yvonne G]

I have a female Florida soft shell that is about 15" SCL and an Argentine side neck about the same size. The side neck's mouth can open VERY wide, and I never see frogs, polywogs or frog eggs in my pond.

 

[Infernalis]

Very impressive. Kudos.

 

[sibi]

Yvonne, what a great pond. I wish I had the space and know-how to create one on my property. Is that a natural pond, or did you create it? If created, how did you get it to be so big; how many gallons of water?

 

[Yvonne G]

My daughter and her family used to live here and I lived all by myself in a great big house on 5 acres of land. Since this is a very small house, and my daughter had a husband and two children, I figured it might be a good idea to trade houses.

While my S.I.L. lived here, he had a friend with a back hoe come over and dig out the pond for their ducks to live in. It is just a big hole in the ground with no liner. The soil here is heavy red clay. The water doesn't percolate through it very fast. I have a hose dedicated to the pond and the water for the hose is turned on to a very, very slow trickle, almost a drip. The percolation, evaporation and trickle keep up with each other nicely.

The dead cat tails in the middle are planted in 55 gallon drums, so the middle is about 4', maybe not quite that deep. Every so often I have to drain it and dig out the sludge. I've lived here about 16 years, and I've dug it out 4 times so far. Its quite a job. I have no idea how many gallons of water it holds, but when I treat the algae I sort of estimate it.

 

[lynnedit]

I remember your update of this pond. I love it, and wish I had one in my backyard. Great idea about creating an area for the box turtles.

 

[mike taylor]

Hay emys emys your pond is on the reptile report