A Mad Dash To Mingo (continued)

Southern Painted Turtle.

The frogs are coming out!

We decided to check out the road along Ditch Number 6 while we waited for the sun.  This ditch, along with a number of others, was used to help get the large cypress logs out of the swamp, back in the days when it was heavily logged.  These days the ditches are starting to fill in, and their courses are blocked with fallen trees, and with new, young cypress and tupelo gums.

The sun was starting to shine a bit!  This was a good sign.  "Turtle!" said Rick.  I stopped and we backed up slowly to watch a mid-sized Southern Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta dorsalis.  It was easy to key out this species, owing to the bright orange-red stripe running up the carapace.  This was a new species for both of us!  Surprisingly, the turtle didn't drop off of his log at our approach.  "Well, let's try to get his picture then."  I backed the vehicle up about fifty feet and we got our cameras and binoculars out, and then drove forward slowly.  We took his picture from the rolled down passenger window, and the turtle stayed still.  "I'm going to get closer."  I got out and kept a large tree between me and the turtle as I slowly approached the bank.  I slowly pointed my camera around the tree and took a photo, while the turtle remained in place.  Then Rick got closer in the same fashion and took a few shots as well.  We moved on, leaving Mr. Turtle right where we found him.

The sun was coming out and warming things a bit - time to head back to one of the closed service roads for a hike.

We hadn't gotten very far when I heard Rick call to me.  "Cottonmouth!"  It was a young one, about twenty inches long and prettily marked.  Yay!  Proof that our day could get better. We continued walking down the road, one of us scanning each side.  Small cricket frogs were beginning to launch themselves around us - another bit of encouragement!