Box Turtle and Tortoise Discussion :: I go on vacation, take a picture of a turtle, and feel bad

A general forum for those with an interest in land-based turtles.

Post Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:44 am   I go on vacation, take a picture of a turtle, and feel bad

So, the family took a long deserved vacation to a state park in Ohio. We brought the dog and stayed in a cabin. One morning, while coming back from a walk with the dog, I saw an Eastern Box Turtle about 4 feet from the edge of the woods. I made sure the dog didn't see her, took the dog in and came back with my camera. Here's a couple of shots:

Image

Image

I took these with a telephoto lens and tried not to disturb her.

I went back in and told my son, who was still abed. After waiting a bit and realizing he was moving very slow, I went back out, and she was almost back in the woods:

Image

I was so proud of myself. I'd kept the dog from bothering her. I had stayed far enough away taking my pictures that she hadn't gone into her shell.

I was feeling pretty good.

Then, I looked at where she had been when I first saw her:

Image

I'd disturbed a female who had just started digging to lay a clutch of eggs. I felt awful. I know she'll find another spot soon, but I think about the stories of keepers here with frantic females, and to think that I interrupted a wild one who had finally started....
Tobi a RES born in 2012
1 dog, 1 teenager, 3 aquariums filled with fish, snails, shrimp and a bit of algae
User avatar
ljapa
 
Posts: 925
Joined: Jul 21, 2012
Location: Near Chicago in IN
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 11:11 am   Re: I go on vacation, take a picture of a turtle, and feel b

Wow, she looks beautiful. I think you did right thing and shouldn't feel bad. They go into a trance when they are laying their eggs and you can get very close when they are in that mode. They are very vulnerable to predators and there are other reasons why she could leave that spot.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:14 pm   Re: I go on vacation, take a picture of a turtle, and feel b

She's so beautiful.
I'm sure there were other reasons she left the spot, Bobo did the same thing while digging for the first time, she hit harder soil and abandoned. The next two times she dug, she couldn't care less about anyone near her. Trance is really the best word for the state she was in. So don't worry.
Bobo - 7 1/2 year old female RES
80 gallon tank, JBL CristalProfi e1501 Greenline canister filter, Eheim Jager 200W heater, Reptile UVB 100 25W bulb (former ReptiGlo 5.0 26W)
User avatar
xcristina
 
Posts: 114
Joined: Dec 1, 2013
Location: Targu Mures, Romania
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2023 12:20 pm   Re: I go on vacation, take a picture of a turtle, and feel b

I can't see the photos because they are not downloading but I am sure it's a cutie.
allyjoy
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Oct 29, 2016
Gender: Female


Return to Box Turtle and Tortoise Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests