A Full-time Life

CREATURES FROM THE CYPRESS SWAMPS

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 We spotted this Florida Soft-shelled Turtle beside the road in Big Cypress National Preserve (on the edge of the Everglades).

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 This is the largest soft-shelled turtle in America.  (They can get up to 30 inches long and weigh as much as 40 pounds.   This one was about 24 inches. These turtles spend most of their time in the water, coming out only to bask in the sun or to lay eggs.  

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We watched this one from the car for a while and when it turned around to go back into the swamp, I stepped out of the car to see if I could tell where she was going.

 

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 She disappeared but when I looked down I saw a few different reptiles.

 

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 There were eight alligators in this "gater-hole."  They like to congregate.

 

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 A little ways farther on, we saw this Black Vulture doing a happy dance in the middle of the road.   His friends had started their picnic without him:

 

 

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 LINKING TO:   SATURDAY CRITTERS (thank you Eileen);  to I'D RATHER B-BIRDING (thank you Annie);    and to NATURE NOTES (thank you Michelle).

We appreciate all visitors and commenters! Thank you.

32 responses to “CREATURES FROM THE CYPRESS SWAMPS”

  1. bettyl - NZ

    These are awesome creatures. I’m loving the ‘happy dance’!

  2. orchid

    Dearest Sallie; At first, I was kind of surprised by the name ‘soft-shelled turtle’, as I thought their shells are all hard one. Oh, alligators like to congregate! How small my knowledge is about reptiles 🙂 And I smiled with the last story about Vulture♪　One started dancing and the others ignored him -)
    Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend in America, xoxo Miyako*

  3. Teresa

    Great variety of wildlife! So interesting to see them.

  4. Laura Hegfield

    fascinating creatures Sallie, all so ancient in their origins.

  5. Lady Fi

    What great shots.

  6. EG CameraGirl

    Interesting critters living in the Cypress Swamps. I’ve never seen a turtle like that one before!

  7. Ratty

    It would be so cool to see alligators, but I have to admit that the thought of getting even a little close to them scares me.

  8. Penny

    Oh wow! Between the vulture doing the happy dance and that magnificent turtle, I may, no, I think I will do a happy dance myself. Great shots, Sallie.

  9. Nan

    Even the turtles sorta creep me out, and you well know what I think of the others. :<)

  10. Pat

    What wonderful sightings, although eight gators would make me very nervous. The vultures look happy.

  11. rainfield

    Wherever they are turtles, there are always alligators.

  12. craftygreenpoet

    gerat sightings

  13. Gaelyn

    Very cool sightings. That turtle has a very different shaped head.

  14. Sondra-SC

    Those soft shells are amazing the golf course near us has them in the ponds around the course…when My son was young he loved to go play golf and throw bread crumbs to the soft shells
    WOW a lot of gators in that photo!!

  15. ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©

    Great collection of monsters!
    😉

  16. Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin'

    …and this is probably a typical day near the park. But my goodness what a great set of images. You did yourself proud. I enjoyed all the photo shares this weekend.

  17. Annie

    So strange creatures in Florida… Here we have just a mouses family in the compost ! I like to go there and look at them. At this time of the year there are the parents … and the babies. A great pleasure !

  18. Chandra

    I liked the turtle and tried not to look at the gators 🙂
    Have a Beautiful Day!
    Peace 🙂

  19. Gayle

    Thanks for sharing the soft shell turtle. The reptiles—maybe 😉 I would have photographed them too.

  20. Gunilla

    The turtle is kind of cute. The alligators are neat if you can watch them from a safe distance. I wouldn’t want to get too close to them.

  21. Al

    I love the turtle but the alligators would make me nervous – eight of them! And I love your previous sky post, those are perfect clouds. Have a wonderful weekend!

  22. Marie-AZ

    Great finds! Really great turtle! Wouldn’t be fun to lose your footing on the bank and end up in the gator hole!

  23. Hannah

    Soft-shelled turtles are so exotic looking. I wonder how it likes living with all those gators, and so close to the road, too! The buzzard is funny doing its happy dance. It seems the Everglades are still full of critters.

  24. TexWisGirl

    the softshelled are so unique looking! all i could think of was how she’d be easy lunch for those gators. 🙂

  25. Lavender Dreams

    Oh my! You got great photos of the turtle! WOW! And look at all those gators. EEEEE!!! Well, I posted the softshell turtle today too! Great minds think alike! haha! Enjoy your weekend. Hugs, Diane

  26. Fotolosopher

    This post just reeks of Florida! Love it. We had soft-shelled turtles in a canal behind our condo in Ft. Lauderdale. People came by and caught them for soup. Finally, signs were put up telling them not to do that. Hah! Nobody believes in signs anymore!
    Have you ever been to Shark Valley? We used to ride our bikes on that 15 miles paved loop frequently. One trip we counted 150 gators! 🙂

  27. Eileen

    Hello Sallie, the Soft Shelled Turtle is neat. I have never seen one in the wild. The gators seem to be everywhere in Florida. The vultures congregating is great too. Wonderful critter photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Have a happy weekend!

  28. Rajesh

    Wonderful set of images. I like that turtle shot.

  29. Hazel

    Brilliant photos-you have nature on your doorstep!

  30. Gattina

    How amazing that you could see this turtle and take such good pictures ! In our “wildlife” I only see ducks and swans and no crocodiles in waters !

  31. Stewart M

    Vultures and alligators in one post! Very gothic!
    Cheers – Stewart M – Melbourne

  32. Ramblingwoods

    Different kind of turtle

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