A trip to the swamp, over a bridge to the past… continuing our review of the past year in natural history.
A foot bridge connects the mainland of Jamestown Island with the original settlement of Jamestowne, the first permanent English colony in North America. On a recent visit we barely made it across the old tar and pitch swamp. Because down below in the muck were four species of turtles: Snapper, Painted, Spotted, and Mud, that captured all our attention. 
Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata), the least numerous of the lot. 
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta, the most common. This trio abandoned this upland as this
Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) clambered out. 
Several of the Snappers were still caked in mud.
One was boulder-sized.
(I’ll return at a later date with the Mud Turtles.)
Backyard and Beyond 
Turtles all the way down . . .