Our friend the box turtle

I was out in the garden picking daffodils when I stumbled onto the earliest sighting of a box turtle ever. I’m assuming it recently came out of hibernation as the normally colorful shell was still covered in mud. It was sluggish, but once the sun warmed its shell, began crawling through the dried oak leaves on the forest floor.

This box turtle might have just woken up from a winter in hibernation. It’s normally colorful shell is still covered in mud. Photos by Doug Oster

As long as I’ve lived on the four acre property, I usually run into one a couple of times a year, normally in the fall when they are clean and easy to see.

They have a territory of a few acres and can live to 100 according to some sources. My family saw the same box turtle for about a decade straight. It was easy to identify by the abnormality in the shell, hence earning the name Shelly.

“Shelly” is a box turtle that turns up here and there in the forest near the garden.

It’s hard to believe how fast they can actually move and how deft their camouflage is, especially late in the season. Many times I’ve found one in the forest, ran down to the house and upon returning with the kids, spend a good amount of time slowly searching the ground until finding the turtle 10 yards away.

It’s always exciting to see some of the creatures we share the garden with, but especially thrilling when an old friend wanders by.

Doug Oster is editor of Everybody Gardens, a website operated by 535Media, LLC. Reach him at 412-965-3278 or doster@535mediallc.com. See other stories, videos, blogs, tips and more at everybodygardens.com.

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