Turtle Crossing

They're back en force, rambling the roadways with all of the "kowabunga" of kamikazes and the visibility of rocks.

That's right: it's turtle time again. 

 Turtle crossing photo by Christian Engelstoft/Wikimedia.

This morning, I dodged the dull green arc of a shell around every curve. Some were boldly striding for the side of the road while others tucked tail right in the middle of the well-worn tire path. Why do they do it? Why, you might ask, does the turtle risk it all to cross the road? 

For the same reason we all do, I suppose. Learn about the appeal of the other side from the experts at the Missouri Department of Conservation.   

If you're in my neck of the Midwest, you're likely to encounter two varieties of box turtle on your travels. 

The most common is the three-toed box turtle:
  

Three-toed box turtle photo by Carnopod/Wikimedia.

 The rarer and more striking species is the ornate box turtle:

 Ornate box turtle photo by Chelsi Hornbaker/USFWS.