Many red-eared sliders live in the pond making up the majority of the hard-shelled turtle population there. I saw them in varying sizes and also saw a few other turtle varieties.
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A Florida box turtle I saw at Forest Tower Park.
[The turtle has its head pulled mostly back into its shell. The shell is dome-shapedand dark green with yellow lines and markings all over the shell. Its head it green on top and beige under the eyes, across the nose, and around the mouth.]

This is a chicken turtle. The length of its claws indicate it's probably a male.
[This turtle has a more globular head than the red-eared slider turtles. Its shell is much less segmented and has very little color variation. The shell seems like it would blend in very well with brown surroundings.]

Not sure what type of turtle this is, but I thought the shell pattern was interesting.
[The turtle is swimming from right to left near the surface of the water. Its head is partially out of the water. Its shell is an irregular pattern of tan and brown-green. It has long claws and its tail sticks out behind the shell.]

There seemed to be only one turtle with red on its shell in the pond.
[A turtle with a black shell with red stripes on it swims near a much smaller red-eared slider.]

This red-eared slider has quite a colorful shell.
[This is a mostly top-down view of the swimming turtle. It's shell has lots of yellow outlining the sections of its shell. The shell is quite dark in some spots, but overall is a lighter shade of brown.]

Looking at this turtle from the opposite bank it appeared the shell was cracked.
Turns out that some loose vegetation in the water became stuck on the top of the shell.
[A large turtle is resting on the hillside. There is a multi-stemmed piece of long wet grass across the shell making it appear the shell is cracked in about six places.]

A very colorful body on this red-eared slider.
[A front side view of a turtle which is on ground just at the edge of the water. The body has lots of yellow patterning on its green body which is visible between the top and lower shell.]

A close view of the face of a red-eared slider.
[A front view of a turtle which is on ground just at the edge of the water and facing the camera. The eyes and nose holes are clearly visible.]

During an extended period of dryness the water level in the pond dropped. I'm assuming that's why this turtle has moss growing on its shell.
[A turtle swims just below the surface of the water. Its shell is barely visible because it is 90 percent covered with moss. The very front edge of the shell and a stripe in the middle can be seen. Those areas probably get 'cleaned' as the turtle propels itself through the water.]

This turtle looks like it grew fur!
[A turtle has just poked its head from the water as it looks toward the camera. Its shell completely covered with long-strand moss making it appear it is fur on its back. Its front legs are visible as it stands in the shallow water.]

Sitting in the sun is the only way turtles can warm themselves so it's common to see them resting along the water's edge.
[Two turtles side by side facing uphill about six inches from the water's edge.]

Six turtles sunning themselves.
[One turtle is on the hillside about three feet from the water. A much larger one is about six inches closer to the water. Four turtles close to the water's edge are partially on top of each other.]

During a prolonged dry spell the water level in the pond dropped significantly exposing a tire someone must have tossed into it. These two males use it to sun(warm) themselves.
I often saw the turtles with a foot out to the side like the pose on this left turtle.
[Two turtles about the same size rest on the tire. Both of them face the camera. The one on the right has its head up while the one on the left has its right food up in the air held out to the side. Both turtles have very long nails.]

A mud-covered small slider sunning itself on a log floating in the pond.
[The turtle is looking at the camera and its yellow striped neck and legs are visible. The mud completely covers the colors on its shell. The water around the log is barely visible as there is so much dirt/muck floating in it.]

Not sure why this turtle kept going after the mallard, but the mallard was not happy about the attention.
The mallard walked away, but the turtle kept following it until the mallard flew further from the water's edge.
[A turtle with its two back feet in the water has its head under the mallard's rear feathers. The mallard stands completely out of the water facing away from the turtle.]

At some point, nothing but a shell remains.
(This turtle may have died in the water, but the dry season evaporated this section of pond.)
[The camera faces the front end of a turtle shell with no turtle body in it. Parts of the shell are peeling off the top. It rests on the ground in a dried area that would have been under water in a season with more rain.]

Continue to page 2 of 2 to see little turtles.

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All photos © S. M. Garver