This Is our Village

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Homeliest Competition




Who has homeliest face in CV? This is Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox) ferox means ferocious. This lady is as big as a large dinner plate and can bite off the end of your finger. She is probably looking for a place to lay her eggs in Sussex! The snorkel nose is for hanging out under water.

Florida softshell turtles are almost entirely aquatic, but can move fast both in water and on land. They are commonly seen basking in the sun on logs or muddy banks or in floating vegetation. Florida softshell turtles are known for being extremely aggressive and will snap or scratch at anything within reach with their sharp jaws and claws if they are handled or feel threatened.
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8 comments:

  1. Hi Elaine,

    I am curious as to how you determined that the creature was a lady?
    Please be specific!

    Thanks,
    Dave Israel

    ReplyDelete
  2. Research m'dear, research! Plus I have a friend who raises exotic turtles. Male softshells do not grow that big.
    Sexual dimorphism is marked, with females much larger than males. Adult females are usually between 28 and 63 centimeters in carapace length (record 73.6 cm), with short tails that barely extend beyond the carapace rim. Males are usually between 15 and 33 centimeters in carapace length, with long, thick tails with the anal vent well beyond the carapace rim.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Elaine,
    August 29, 2013 at 8:37 AM,

    Your "evidence" is fuzzy at best,

    Did you verify the presence of Cloacal respiration?

    Dave Israel

    ReplyDelete
  4. Some cloacas are like a 3-hole golf course. To which 3-hole you might want to give a little more thought, since it is a response to a Commissioner's request, and they expect consideration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sorry Elaine, I beg to differ....
    Check out Sat. night Dance in the
    Partyroom...you will find Human
    competition....

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am waiting for Dave Israel's Turtle Soup recipe. I love homemade soups and stews.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Lanny,
    September 2, 2013 at 10:25 PM,

    I do have an excellent recipe for
    purple turtle soup.

    Dave Israel

    ReplyDelete
  8. There was an old woman named Myrtle,
    Whose favorite soup was mock turtle.
    Dave said, "I will cook it,"
    But the woman, I took it,
    Thought purple too much of a hurdle.

    AND I AGREE.

    Lanny

    ReplyDelete

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