I wasn’t planning on herping yesterday, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself that’s too good pass up.
This weekend was the first nice weather of the season up here (65-70 and sunny), and there were a number of people out walking at a local lake when I overheard a boy (turned out to be an 8 y/o who’s also really into herps) pointing out a turtle to his dad while climbing a tree overhanging the lake. Our mutual excitement led to a mission to capture the little guy, which resulted in jumping in some very cold water to grab him.
He turned out to be a non-native red-eared slider, instead of the western painted turtle I was hoping for, but still an exciting catch. It turned into a great opportunity to get the kids who had gathered around excited about reptiles, and also to discuss why it isn’t a good idea to release unwanted pets into the wild.
Anyway, enjoy the pictures.
Andy
Soaked
