Sinister ovals
like shadowy cockroaches
in sepia shallows
Turn out to be
basking musk turtles,
still warming from their slumber.
Their winter brumation
gives algae a chance to grow
shaggily on their shells.
This is actually the common musk turtle, Sternotherus odoratus, and not the snapping turtle that I initially thought it was. Thanks to Lucy for guiding me to the right species.
5 comments:
Great photo and poem!
Are you sure its a snapping turtle?
Thanks, Shelley. It's always fun to turn science into a poem!
Lucy, I hope so - please LMK what else you think it can be. I checked it out, and the behavior and location seem to fit for young snappers. I was curious about the pattern on its back, though ...
So, after catching one of these turtles and investigating its characteristics, as Lucy suggested, the original post has been updated to reflect the correct species.
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