A Box Turtle's Morning Video

A BOX TURTLE'S MORNING

This is a big file, so be patient. I'll type a lot here so you have something to read while you wait for the download. This is the box turtle that hatched in our yard years ago (there's a video of it's mother excavating the nest it was born in). We named it Fen, because it liked to hang out in a toad house under lots of fennel. We used to think it was a boy, but now we think it's a girl based on it's eye color. I found her on the patio this morning and taped her for a while. She gorged herself on some june bugs that were still on the patio from the night before. (There were several in the kiddie pool we have for one of our dogs, so I scooped them out and put them on the patio, and Fen seemed to be very happy about that). After eating she climbed over the edging into the flower bed, and made her way to the toad bath. Why she sat halfway in the bath and half out for so long I have no idea. She wasn't stuck. I also don't know why she put her whole head under water, but she did this many times. I went inside for a few minutes, and when I came back out Fen was gone. Don't believe the stereotype--turtles are NOT slow.