Herpetofauna - One Life's List Eastern
Box Turtle Montgomery Co., Illinois, May 2, 1992 |
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Although I spent a decade growing up on the banks of the Mississippi, with
Illinois in plain sight, it was a long time before I ever came across an
Eastern Box Turtle. The western side of this turtle's range ends
abruptly at the Mississippi. Indeed, I had to get married to find one.
My wife and I were married in Litchfield, her home town, and we stayed
several days there. One day we visited nearby Lake Yeager, and as it
sometimes happens with Box Turtles, we heard one scratching around in the
leaf litter near the shore, and soon found it. It was beautifully
marked, all yellow and black on its head and carapace, and me with no
camera.
I've seen dozens of Eastern Box Turtles since moving to Illinois, and most were incredibly beautiful turtles with brilliant colors on head, limbs, and shell. |
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