Saw it during my morning amble. I first thought it was alive (& fine) & was busy trying to make sure the dogs didn’t get close. Then I noticed the NECK. Yikes.
I wasn’t anxious to spend too much time looking. It was NOT pleasant.
I initially thought it must have got hit by a vehicle (since it was on the side of a fairly well travelled road). I am NOT sure. Yes, some of the shell is missing. Looks like something ate a chunk of the next. That could have been after it died. I don’t know. This was the only picture I took. I didn’t want to spend too much time around it. Plus I had the dogs (who luckily were totally uninterested in it (possibly because it was dead)).
This was on ‘Hollywood Beach Road‘ — a fairly busy road down the hill from us. It gets its name because our beach, at ‘Halfmoon Lake‘, used to be popular with actual Hollywood sorts way, way back. I amble on it most days because I can’t get to our beach without going on it some — & during the Summer I like to include the beach on my amble on a near daily basis.
I was talking to a neighbor, who also happened to be ambling, when we saw this SUV drive by with two kids gesticulating, like crazy, from the back window. It stopped shortly. I looked around & saw what the excitement was all about.
It was SMALL turtle, about 4.5″, crossing the road.
A car was approaching from the other direction & the two boys were scared that it would run over the little guy.
I was just there. A few quick steps & I was STANDING over it, guarding it. The approaching car stopped. Saw what I was doing. I waved for it to drive around me.
The two boys approached with the mother. I thought they wanted to keep it. I offered them a Turtle Tank — given that we still have a few from the days we kept turtles.
No, they weren’t going to keep it, they just wanted to move it to a safer place. I was all in favor. Just wanted a second to snap a picture. (Above) The older boy picked it up, EXPERTLY, after identifying it as a snapper. He knew what he was doing. I was impressed & pleased.
