Testudines Crossing

With our Florida trip winding down we headed out of Marco Island, on our way to Miami, on “Alligator Alley”. Most of this highway traverses the Everglades, which was the plan.

We intended on taking an air boat ride but soon realized it was not going to happen - tropical storm Fay dumped too much water and the mosquitoes were vicious.

We saw all kinds of wildlife along the way, both, on the roadway and in pens and cages and tanks at several of our stops.

Here are a couple of turtle pictures we took. We stopped and caught these chelonians crossing the roadway and checked them out. The kids got all excited and enjoyed them too. There was a third terrapin, a snapping turtle, attempting to cross but as we turned the car around and started back the person driving the minivan just in front of us swerved and hit it, alas.


This is a "Soft-shelled" turtle and amazingly fast for a turtle but I was still able to catch him without getting run over myself, crikey!


This is a "Yellow-bellied slider" turtle and was content to stay hidden inside his shell. Now, I've done some research, and although I was unable to find definitive proof, I'm pretty sure the preferred way to hold turtles is like how my brother is doing it above - your pinkie should be extended!

We moved these two guys to safety; away from the road to the waters edge and continued our trek...