Unexpected guest!!!! :-)

[Moozillion]

I was going out to feed my Hermann's tortoise just now, saw movement in the grass and realized I had an unexpected visitor!!!!




I have NEVER seen a wild box turtle in our yard in 18 years!!!!! There is an undeveloped wetland area and small river adjoining the north side of our subdivision, but the other 3 sides have highways, roads and businesses!!!!
I SOOOOO wanted to keep him! (...at least i think it was a he....he did NOT much appreciate being picked up!)
An Eastern Box Turtle, you reckon?




Turtle: "Quit looking at my butt, lady...I'm outta here!"

 

[TechnoCheese]

Wow, super cool!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Nice looking turtle. The best kind of Visitor!

 

[Moozillion]

Wow, super cool!

Yes, I thought so!!!!
I've only seen box turtles around here twice in the 18 years we've lived here: one smashed on the road and one GORGEOUS male in the middle of the street leading to our subdivision. There was a LOT of construction going on where he was headed, so I took him back to the wetland area just by our subdivision, since that's the only POSSIBLE place he could have come from.
But this was a FIRST for our yard!!!!! Makes me SOOOOO happy!!!!!

 

[Moozillion]

Nice looking turtle. The best kind of Visitor!

Yes: The BEST!!!!

 

[LaLaP]

Wow! He is so beautiful! What a fun surprise

 

[Tom]

That is awesome! Thanks for the pics.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Sweet! I didn't even know you have a tortoise! So much discussion about Jacques, I guess I missed it. What other critters are you hiding from us? Hmmm?

 

[Moozillion]

Sweet! I didn't even know you have a tortoise! So much discussion about Jacques, I guess I missed it. What other critters are you hiding from us? Hmmm?

[emoji38][emoji38][emoji38] You never know! [emoji6]

 

[NickA]

Looks like a 3 toed box turtle. Very nice looking one.

 

[wellington]

Thats pretty cool. Hopefully he will stick around.

 

[Momof4]

So pretty!!

 

[TammyJ]

Lucky little guy! Nice!

 

[TammyJ]

Can I just ask a really stupid question here? Why is it called a turtle when it's really a tortoise??? What is it really? D-UHHHH!!!

 

[lunacris]

Very cool. What part of LA are you from?

 

[Maggie3fan]

My sister has been involved in tortoise rescue for probably 40 years now, me not so long...and neither of us has ever come across a loose turtle or tortoise. And I agree to 3-toed. A quite beautiful one too.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Can I just ask a really stupid question here? Why is it called a turtle when it's really a tortoise??? What is it really? D-UHHHH!!!

When someone calls any of my tortoises turtles I ALWAYS correct them. That drives me nuts. If you think tortoises are turtles throw a 50 pound Sulcata in a pond and see what happens..

 

[Billna the 2]

Very nice[emoji4]

 

[Bee62]

So cute ! I would like to have such an unexpected visitor too !

 

[Redfool]

Can I just ask a really stupid question here? Why is it called a turtle when it's really a tortoise??? What is it really? D-UHHHH!!!

I always thought the turtle/tortoise differentiation was by the way they walk. Where turtles hind legs/feet go out to the sides and push it forward, tortoises walk on straight hind legs much like an elephant. Don’t know if this is true or not, just my opinion.