Wednesday, September 24, 2014
THE AMAZING ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE
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There is a building over at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park that is now called the Children's Education Center. Originally, it was the main entrance to the spring when it was the only thing there and people came from all over the world just to bask in its beauty and crystal clear waters. Now, it houses all sorts of activities for the children, as well as rest rooms, water fountain, educational information, and air conditioning. That is important sometimes...
It is also the home, for the moment, to a 45 or so year old Alligator Snapping Turtle! He lives in a large tank, and behind thick glass, so getting a good shot is a bit of a challenge, but it is more likely than getting a shot of, or even seeing the giant that lives in Pepper Creek, which I caught sight of only once in my ten years on that creek.
Alligator Snappers sit on the bottom, hold their mouth open and wiggle a small appendage on their tongue which fish take to be a worm. Going into feed, they never come out!
This morning, the Alligator Snapper in the CEC was reaching up to the surface and I grabbed some shots. Notice those claws!
There is a building over at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park that is now called the Children's Education Center. Originally, it was the main entrance to the spring when it was the only thing there and people came from all over the world just to bask in its beauty and crystal clear waters. Now, it houses all sorts of activities for the children, as well as rest rooms, water fountain, educational information, and air conditioning. That is important sometimes...
It is also the home, for the moment, to a 45 or so year old Alligator Snapping Turtle! He lives in a large tank, and behind thick glass, so getting a good shot is a bit of a challenge, but it is more likely than getting a shot of, or even seeing the giant that lives in Pepper Creek, which I caught sight of only once in my ten years on that creek.
Alligator Snappers sit on the bottom, hold their mouth open and wiggle a small appendage on their tongue which fish take to be a worm. Going into feed, they never come out!
This morning, the Alligator Snapper in the CEC was reaching up to the surface and I grabbed some shots. Notice those claws!
From a reference book in the CEC, this shot of a man holding a rather large specimen of this amazing creature!
:)
Jud
Labels: Alligator Snapping Turtle, Homosassa Spring, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, HSWLSP, Jud
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Had a pretty big one of those, but not nearly as big as the last picture in our driveway once. He tried to bite my shoe!!
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