Spotting Turtles in the Wild.

Now that it is spring time it allows observers a chance to see many turtles in their natural setting.  If you look in the right spot you may find one or up to a dozen or more turtles basking at a sight.  The key is to not frighten them if you want to catch them basking and get in for a closer look.  Turtles do not have the greatest hearing but if you cause too much of a commotion moving in closer to them they will take off into the water.  Turtles also have good eye sight and may spot you from a good distance away.  If you take your time, move a little slower and more deliberately it should help you get in a bit closer.  You may want to take a camera with you so you can take pictures of any good looking turtles you find.  Also if you cannot identify the turtle then you can use the photos at a later date to find out the species using a field guide.  It may also be helpful to study the local species you may run into as this will make identification much easier in the field.  Above all else remember to keep your eyes open and looking for turtles and other life forms.  Good luck to everyone in the 2012 field herping season and hopefully everyone finds some great specimens.

These following pictures are from outings I have had at my local park district lake from 3/26/12 to 4/06/12.  These pictures are only a small portion of what I saw on my outings.