Holiday Festival 2011

On 12/10/11 We had a big party for all out guests! Myself and another volunteer ran the turtle display where people could learn the difference between Gopher Tortoises, Florida Box Turtles, Florida Snapping Turtles and South American Red Legged Tortoises. Lots of pictures were taken. I didn't let people hold the turtles because I'm concerned about any diseases people may have on them. I don't let people hold my snapping turtle anyway, I mean it has some sharp claws and could bite for some unknown reason.

10/29/11 Young Raccoons and Gopher Tortoises

     Today I brought my pet Florida Snapping Turtle to visit the hospital. Many of the volunteers there had never seen him. I took two baby Gopher Tortoises to a field to graze on native plants. Then I took two adult Gopher Tortoises to graze. Then I gave medicine to two cages full of mid sized Raccoons. I collected the day's cardboard for later recycling. At one point a wild Squirell ran up to me and stood on my shoe.

A Red Rat Snake Rescue

      I posted this also in my "Mother Nature" Blogger Blog. In recent evenings the air has been cool, which causes snakes to come out to lay on the still warm roads. I try to do my driving around then so I can rescue as many as possible.
     I passed this baby 8 inch Grey Rat Snake and had to go back for it after my mind recognized it for a snake and not a stick. I took it home, fed it on baby mouse, took it to work to show it to a lot of people and right now it is back at my house resting. I'd like to grow it to about a foot long then when it can defend itself better, release it.
     This is one of the wildest snake babies I've had. Although harmless, every time I pick it up, which is not often, it has a crazy fit. It spins around, wiggles like a worm and bites me over and over.
     One of the reasons I wanted to post this snake picture is because I didn't want Back to Nature to look like a turtle hospital. They work with birds, mammals, reptiles and anything else native. I blog mostly about turtles because that is my specialty.

A Mud Turtle Release

     This Mud Turtle was dropped off to the Wildlife Hospital. It was unharmed and quite actice. So right away they gave it to me and and half an hour later it was swimming in a clean cypress swamp.
     When I released it into the flooded woods behind my house I had to be quick about it. This was not because of the Mud Turtle, it was because of the cloud of mosquitoes that are active right now. Recent rain and flooding has caused the mosquitoe popluation of explode. It was all I could do to stay still long enough to take a picture.

A Softshell Turtle Release

     On October 8th I realeased this big Softshell Turtle into my swamp. It is from Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge and has a long scratch down it's back. The scratch may be from going under a fence. While in captivity it was pretty wild. But when I released it, it slowly took it's time. This enabled be to take several good pictures. Often my pictures are a blur or some animal's butt as they make a break for freedom.

A New Baby Gopher Tortoise

     Today I stopped in to check if a small Spur Thigh Tortoise had been adopet out. I was going to ask Dr. Pritchard if he wanted it. I did see a new baby Gopher Tortoise one of the volunteers rescued off a road. This one looks about four years old. It was of the dark variety I see sometimes.
     I also stopped in to observe the Box Turtles. It was sunny and hot and everyone of them was hiding.
     I picked up the days cardboard also.

Peninsula Cooter Rescue

     I was driving in to work early this morning and saw two Peninsula Cooter Turtles stuck on a road. One was already dead and this very large female was on the side. I swung my car around and went back for her.
     I was able to get to her in time, but her boyfriend didn't make it. I walked her over (in the same direction she was going) to a nearby lake and set her on the shoreline, where I took this picture with my phone.
     This is the first time I have used my phone to post a picture on the internet. I took the picture, then posted it on facebook, then from facebook to a desktop computer and lastly to this blog.