Does it have a domed carapace? Do its feet lack webs? If so, chances are good you’ve found a turtle in need of rescue. Pictured…
Is That Big Turtle Native, Or Not?
Turtle Courtship
Courtship in the turtle world can include many behaviors, including the fluttering of the foreclaws in a display known as titillation.
Artie the Turtle
Ah, 1978. Things were sure were different then. Jimmy Carter was president. I remember this because I drew his portrait, and all those pearly white…
The New Blanding’s Turtle Pond
People laugh when I say this, but you really can tell when a reptile is content. Its body posture, for example, is relaxed but not…
Stinkpot
This week’s column is the second in a series chronicling lesser known fall season phenomenon. Ah, babies. What’s cuter than a tiny robin nestling, its mouth gaping widely as it waits to be fed? Or a tiny fawn curled up in the woods, sun dappling its white-spotted coat? I may get a little push-back on
Fishing Camp
February 27, 2015 Bird Tracks A young painted turtle was one of many creatures discovered by participants in the St. Charles Park District’s Rod N Reel nature camp. It’s been said, on bumper stickers as well as refrigerator magnets, wooden plaques other sources of sage advice, that a bad day of fishing is better than
Artie-at-Thanksgiving
November 28, 2014 Artie at Thanksgiving Ornate box turtles, like Arthur, are a threatened species in Illinois and require a permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources if kept in captivity. I guess we all have our Thanksgiving favorites. My brother likes turkey, and lots of it. I’m partial to stuffing. And my buddy
Turtles
I watched in amazement the other day as my buddy Arthur wolfed down his plate of sweet potatoes. They were made just the way he likes them—baked, no butter, with just a bit of the skin left on. And as he gulped down bite after bite I thought, “My goodness, it’s like he hadn’t eaten