|
Alexander Springs
This is a first magnitude spring in the Ocala National Forest. Every day about 70 million gallons of water issue forth from the main spring area. Since this is a turtle website, we will of course start with the turtles. |
|
Florida Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina osceola eating algae, possibly after the snails that were sprinkled around the clump. |
|
This male (notice the long fore claws) Peninsula Cooter Pseudemys floridana peninsularis just finished taking a breath at the surface and is about to realize that I was there... |
|
...half a second later he was burying himself in the sand and algae. |
|
Of course some don't need to head for the cover of algae, they carry it with them. |
|
Overall, they are wary and keep their distance. |
|
The claws are blurred, but notice the long tail on the turtle below? It is a male. If you could see the vent it would be about where the back of the feet are touching the tail. The important thing to remember is beyond the rim of the carapace. Compare this tail to the stubby one of the female in the picture above. The vent on that one is inside the carapace rim, closer to the body. |
|
Florida Redbelly Pseudemys nelsoni male (notice long fore claws and tail) at surface. |
|
A Redbelly Cooter Pseudemys nelsoni hanging out in the heavily vegetated edge. |
|
Another Florida Redbelly, this one a juvenile. |
|
Three-striped Mud Turtle Kinosternon bauri female. Because turtles are wary I tend to end up with a lot of pictures of turtle butts. |
|
Loggerhead Musks Sternotherus minor. I see these much less frequently than the appropriately named Common Musks in the spring. |
|
Larger Loggerhead. |
|
A male (tail size) Common Musk Sternotherus odoratus. |
|
Florida Softshell Apalone ferox. |
|
A large female Florida Softshell. |
|
A Florida Softshell Apalone ferox skimming the bottom of the spring, nearly 30 feet down. |
Ω
