Common Snapping Turtle

We met this big guy the last time we were in Florida. A Common Snapping Turtle, seen crossing a sand road at the edge of remaining Everglades. There was what looked like a squatted truck gathering in the area, so we’re happy we found it first and helped it off the road.

But, we just kicked the can down the road a bit. The place this old turtle lives is slated to become the next massive residential area as the state continues to fill in. If you’ve never seen the everglades … get down there and do it while you can.

Sonoran Desert Tortoise At Night

I found this Sonoran Desert Tortoise hanging out at the entrance of one of its burrows. Each year, it returns to the same hole that it’s excavated from a smaller natural gap caused by erosion in the upper edge of a wash. During this time, it is mostly nocturnal, never going too far from its aestivation home. Once the monsoon brought moisture to the area, it went on its way to another spot.