Saturday's Critters # 649

 Welcome to Saturday's Critters! Hello and Happy Saturday!

 If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir

This is Memorial Day weekend in the USA, have a safe and happy weekend. Monday the 25th is the Memorial Day celebrated to honor all those who served our country.

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I am celebrating today May 23rd World Turtle Day. I am joining in to increase awareness on the importance of protecting turtles and tortoises and their rapidly disappearing habitats.  This includes sea turtles, fresh water turtles and land dwelling tortoises. I am including a link for Maryland DNR Turtles and Tortoises. 

Eastern Painted Turtle in Maryland, seem to be a common turtle seen during my travels and nature walks. 

Eastern Painted Turtle in Maryland 

Eastern Painted Turtle in Maryland 

Another Red-eared Slider these two were seen on the shore at Prettyboy Reservoir. 

The Snapping Turtle is Maryland's largest freshwater turtle.

The Snapping Turtle has a Large head and a long tail with three spiky tubercles. They nest on land from late April to mid June.

The Eastern Box Turtle has a high dome shell, colors of yellow, orange and olive. Males can have red eye but not always. They are found in woodlands, my sightings have been off the local fire road walks.

The Florida Gopher Tortoise likes sandy soil, dunes and coastal grasslands. They dig a burrow and spend most of their lives in the burrow. This Tortoise shares it burrow home with possibly as many as 360 other species including snakes, mice, fox, skunk, frogs, rabbits, armadillo, lizards and burrowing owls.  The burrow can be 52 feet long and 23 feet deep.

During our travels in Florida we saw the Gopher Tortoise in various places, most places were near the beach and sand.  

Florida's Soft-shelled Turtle found in fresh water. This turtle's body looks flat and has a long neck and a snorkel like nose. 

Florida's Soft-shelled Turtle with a Red-bellied Cooter

A tortoise seen in the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson. The Aldabra Tortoise, endemic to the island of Aldabra off the coast of Africa. Zoos are crucial for conserving these species. 

Below is the Green Sea turtle seen on a beach in Kauai!

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday   I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

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