The guys have left for the day, I finish making my capp, grab the cup and hear a strange noise. I look out my kitchen window and see this...
He may not look like much but it was about 18 inches long, so proportionately large compared to my brick step. The split second upon spotting it took my brain a beat to translate what I was seeing. What..big brown lump(no)...groundhog(no)...baby dinosaur(hehe)...ITS A TORTOISE!
What strange creatures travel through my yard after a good rainstorm.
actually i think it's a snapping turtle. very cool - but beware, they are well named. i've seen them snap large branches in 1/2.
He definetly looks like a snapping turtle. He also looks like his shell was damaged at some point on the back section by his tail. Looks like he has been around for awhile.
And I chime in late to concur - snapper. So, has he moved on, or is he still in residence somewhere? (They usually live along rivers/large creeks. He's far from home for someone who walks so slowly.)
Thanks for the input! It moved on later that day (to my relief). I didn't want to have to move it myself to get it to go back to its home. It must have come from the dry creek at the base of our forest.