Baby Turtle Rescue & other Pond Life!

As I was walking along a paved trail in Canatara Park, I noticed bubbles coming up from a puddle. I took a closer look and found a baby Snapping Turtle hiding underneath a leaf. It was approximately 3 cm in diameter.

It still had a long walk to get to water and I was worried it would be run over by a cyclist in the puddle, or car once it came to the road. I carried it to the nearby lake which is where it was headed. Still lots of dangers in the water, but it has had a good start to life so far! 

Smeared Dagger caterpillar. 8 of them were on the Lilypads.

Video: Smeared Dagger on the move!

Pond Snail

Belostoma flumineum is a member of  the Giant Water Bugs, commonly known as Toe Biters. This particular species grows to a maximum of 2.5 cm. They live in freshwater wetlands, marshes and ponds with muddy bottoms. Backswimmers, Dragonfly nymphs and Pond snails are their favourite foods. They inject digestive saliva to liquefy prey tissue before dining. Humans being bitten by this bug will feel pain, but otherwise not suffer.

https://bugswithmike.com/guide/arthropoda/hexapoda/insecta/hemiptera/heteroptera/nepomorpha/nepoidea/belostomatidae/belostomatinae/belostoma/flumineum.

Rathke's Woodlouse -Lots of life was on the Lilypads!

Meadowhawks. Dragonflies start their lives in the water. Pond water is incredibly important to their survival, as are cattails and other plants associated with healthy ponds.

Adult American Toads spend most of their time in the shade of forests. At mating time, eggs are laid in the water and tiny tadpoles emerge before they start to grow legs.

Cattails are impressive wetland plants. At various stages of growth, all parts (stem, root, seed head) are edible. They provide shelter and food for many wetland critters and also help to clean water by absorbing phosphates.

Spotted Jewelweed - grows in wet soil, often at the edge of ponds. Mashed juice from the stems can be used to treat skin irritations including poison ivy rash, nettle stings, and bug bites.

https://practicalselfreliance.com/jewelweed/

This young Ruby-throated Hummingbird was waiting for its turn to fly down to the Spotted Jewelweed nectar source, a definite favourite of the little hummers! Their beaks make it easy to get nectar from the long flower tubes.

Painted Turtle climbing onto a floating log.