Who Lives Here: Bubba

We've had a few new friends get added to the family last summer and this spring.  Bubba arrived in early summer via craigslist (I really need to avoid that site).  He is a Gulf Coast Box Turtle.

Bubba is a good looking little guy...or gal, and growing every day.  I swear he is bigger each time I see him.  His coloration is really pretty.  There is a lot of variation in the species.  He enjoys worms, sunning himself and cool jazz.  (Just kidding)

Box Turtles are a little different than both aquatic turtles or tortoises.  They are omnivores, eating both plants and meat (mostly worms, grubs and pill bugs in our case).  They live on land, but enjoy water a lot.  Some will even swim a bit.  This spring he graduated from a blue wadding pool (that didn't stay vacant for too long) to their own turtle garden.

It's still a work in progress and needs some more plants and maybe some additional leaf litter come fall.  I can't wait to see how they, and their garden, grows.  Unfortunately, Bubba is temporarily back in his pool due to some predators in the area.  We aren't sure what they are, but we want to keep him safe.  Hopefully he will be back in his garden soon.