Reptile & Amphibian Forums

That time is approaching, when we start to see sign of Spring and stirrings from hibernacula all across the land...

I can't wait.

>>That time is approaching, when we start to see sign of Spring and stirrings from hibernacula all across the land...
>>
>>I can't wait.

I'm with you Steph. It has been a long cold winter. Which part of VA are you from? I lived in Norfolk from 1977 through 1981. Most winters there seemed fairly mild.
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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

I'm in the central part of the state so we had some good snow this year. SE VA is sub-tropical. )

wrong emoticon...

>>wrong emoticon...

Ya most winters down there were mild but I do remember one winter that really bad I think it was 1979. Lots of snow and ice that year.
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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

Compared to my previous home in Boston, Virginia really is mild.

Well, this has been the coldest winter in the Carolinas since I have lived here (about a decade). Quite a bit colder, actually.

Thankfully, the outdoor Florida box turtles and the gulf coasts made it! What a relief! They have all surfaced. The other box turtles are either still buried or in the fridge.

The wood turtles, Blanding's, and Euro ponds were all out basking today.

The turtles and their keeper have had a nice rest. It's go time.

Seen this guy in the woods today in South Carolina.Snow last week and 70 today.Looks like he just emerged today.The hole was right behind him.

Nice find.

They were doing controlled burns in Chester, SC. My whole neighborhood was cloaked in smoke. It was something like 2,000 acres. Very bad timing...lots of sluggish box turtles sitting atop the leaf litter just like the one pictured.

I hate to even think about that.I have seen some in the woods that were obvious fire survivors.The loggers were clearing trees a couple of months ago near where this turtle was.They will be waking up to a whole new world.

Well, there may be some good news. There has been some evidence that the transition resulting from logging (old growth vs. early successional) may actually benefit certain species like Eastern box turtles. That is, if the heavy equipment doesn't crush them.

Steph, What kind of turtles do you do, other than Box Turtles? I do turtles, too. Have been for over 40 years. My tortoises come out for sun even on the coldest days right now.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I have only Eastern box turtles in my care here. I'm not interested in expanding the 'herd'. I'm not in the pet trade at all, nor am I a collector: my primary interest is conservation. All of my turtles came from a single construction site before they were bulldozed into oblivion.

I have been known to salvage eggs from roadkill of other species of turtle, incubate them and release the hatchlings (in the same area where the female was found.)