Son of Sam???

Sam Box the backyard box turtle still hasn't revealed herself to me this summer, nor have I again seen the anonymous box turtle visitor that I showed you earlier this month. But look what was waiting for me on my back porch early this morning.


Who's that hiding behind the cat food dispenser?


Why, it is a baby turtle - clean, shiny, new and not much bigger than a silver dollar.


I figured he was there for the cat food so, to make things easier for him, I spread some on the floor. I was hoping he would emerge from his shell and nibble so that I could get a picture of him in action. But as long as I was in the area, even when I hid myself and stood perfectly still, he remained tight in his shell - his mother obviously taught him not to trust strangers.

I would call him Son of Sam but that name has already been taken and besmirched so I'll just call him Sammy. What a lovely surprise and a nice way to begin my day.

I have remarked before about the abundance of young amphibians and reptiles in the yard this summer. It seems to have been a very good breeding year for them. I'm very glad to see that that success extends to box turtles.