Happy National Reptile Awareness Day!
Wildlife photographer blog post celebrating National Reptile Awareness Day with a photo of a box turtle from the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
Unexpected Encounters: A Red-Eared Slider’s Journey
I had the pleasure of photographing a fascinating reptile, a Red-eared Slider, right in my own backyard here in Arkansas.
A Dirt Clod Reveals a Hidden Box Turtle
A small dirt clod seemed to be moving, and I couldn't resist pulling over to investigate. As I got closer, I realized that it was a Three-toed Box Turtle
The Three-toed Box Turtle: A Slow-Moving Treasure
If you are lucky enough to see a Three-toed Box Turtle in the wild, please be respectful and let it go on its way. These slow-moving turtles are a treasure, and they deserve our protection.
Three-toed Box Turtle
I was lucky enough to photograph this Three-toed Box Turtle crossing the road at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. This species of turtle is...
Eastern River Cooter On Gravel
This Eastern River Cooter on gravel was on the auto tour road located at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: RF100-500 mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Technical:
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date and Time Taken: May 13, 2022 (09:25 A. M.)
- Exposure Mode: Manual
- Aperture: f9
- Shutter speed: 1/2000
- ISO: 1600 (Auto)
- White Balance: Auto
- Metering Mode: Evaluative
- Back-button Focus
- Animal Eye Single Point Auto Focus
- Exposure Compensation: 0
- Focal Length: 500 mm
Mississippi Mud Turtle Crossing Road
I photographed what I think is a Mississippi Mud Turtle crossing the auto tour road at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. I sat down in the road to get this shot while hand-holding my camera and lens.
I made sure this turtle made it safely across the road.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: RF100-500 mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Technical:
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date and Time Taken: April 3, 2022 (10:32 A. M.)
- Exposure Mode: Manual
- Aperture: f8
- Shutter speed: 1/2000
- ISO: 500 (Auto)
- White Balance: Auto
- Metering Mode: Evaluative
- Back-button Focus
- Animal Eye Single Point Auto Focus
- Exposure Compensation: 0
- Focal Length: 500 mm
Box Turtle On The Rocks
A wildlife photographer's experience capturing images of a three-toed box turtle crossing the road at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
Large Snapping Turtle Crossing Road
I photographed this large Snapping Turtle at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
How I Got The Photo:
This Turtle came out of the Arkansas River and was crossing the road to an area called Tuff Pond.
I parked my pickup and got out to photograph this turtle. I was hand-holding my camera and lens.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon EF 800 mm f/11
Technical:
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date Taken: June 4, 2021 (7:41 A.M.)
- Aperture: f11
- Shutter speed: 1/1250
- ISO: 2000 (Auto)
- White Balance: Auto
- Exposure Mode: Manual
- Metering Mode: Evaluative
- Back-button Focus
- Continuous Auto Focus
- Exposure Compensation: 0
- Focal Length: 800 mm
- Processed With Luminar
Related Posts:
Mississippi Mud Turtle
Wildlife photography is a passion of mine, and I recently had the pleasure of spotting and capturing the elusive Mississippi Mud Turtle on camera.
Mating Box Turtles
I was minding my own business, driving my pickup truck, when I spotted a pair of Box Turtles getting busy right in the middle of the road. Talk about some…
Box Turtle Crossing Parking Area
This Box Turtle came out of Goss Slough into the asphalt parking area located at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
I placed my bean bag on the ground and used it to support my camera and lens to get this photo.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II (attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro)
Technical:
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date and Time Taken: May 8, 2021 (06:55 A. M.)
- Aperture Priority
- Aperture: f5.6
- Shutter speed: 1/320 (as determined by the camera)
- ISO: 3200
- White Balance: Auto
- Metering Mode: Multi
- Back-button Focus
- Single Point Auto Focus
- Exposure Compensation: 0
- Focal Length: 400 mm
- Processed With Luminar 4
Related Posts:
Red-eared Slider Crossing Road
This Red-eared Slider was crossing the auto tour road at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. I made a blog post twice before regarding reasons these turtles are out of the water. The first blog post I made, I thought could be a Red-eared Slider Searching For New Habitat and the second post was of a Red-eared Slider Laying Eggs. This time I think it was looking for a new habitat.
Red-eared Sliders leave the water and travel across land for several reasons, including:
-
Basking: They need to warm themselves under the sun to regulate their body temperature and metabolism.
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Nesting: Female Red-eared Sliders will leave the water to find a suitable location to lay their eggs.
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Exploring: They may leave the water to explore their surroundings and search for food or mates.
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Fleeing danger: They may leave the water to escape predators or adverse conditions in their aquatic habitat.
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Thermoregulation: Red-eared Sliders will move between sun-exposed and shaded areas to regulate their body temperature.
These are just a few of the reasons why Red-eared Sliders might leave the water and travel across land.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM (attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro)
Technical:
While driving the auto tour road [Read More…]
Snapping Turtles Mating
I had the privilege of capturing an extraordinary moment when two Snapping Turtles engaged in their unique mating ritual.
A Box Turtle Hurrying Across A Road
I have never seen a turtle move like that before! It was stretched out, like it was trying to cross a finish line. I quickly jumped out of my pickup…
An Egg-Laying Adventure with a Red-Eared Slider
A wildlife photographer describes encountering a female red-eared slider turtle attempting to lay eggs in the parking lot of a boat launch area.
Box Turtle With Dried Earthworm
I spotted this Box Turtle with a dried Earthworm crossing an asphalt road here in Arkansas. I see Earthworms on the roads early in the mornings and when the sun rises some Earthworms don’t survive. This Turtle must have picked this one up as it was crossing the road.
How I Got The Shot – Box Turtle With Dried Earthworm
I was out for a walk at Vache Grasse Park near Lavaca, Arkansas when I spotted this Turtle. This was back in June 2008. I was hand-holding my camera and lens.
Technical:
• Location: Vache Grasse Park (Arkansas)
• Date Taken: June 8, 2008
• Aperture: f9.0
• Shutter speed: 1/400 sec.
• ISO: 400
• Exposure Bias: 0 EV
• Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
• Focal Length: 400 mm
• Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
• Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Here are a few more Box Turtles I have photographed:
Early Spring Box Turtle
Colorful Three-toed Box Turtle
Three-toed Box Turtle Close-up
Three-toe Box Turtle Walking On Rocks
Moving Turtles From Road
Red-eared Slider Searching For New Habitat
It is not uncommon for Red-eared Sliders to leave their aquatic habitats in search of new homes, especially during periods of drought or overcrowding.
Early Spring Box Turtle
The Three-toed Box Turtle is a seasonal migrator and is commonly found in forested areas during early spring, summer, and late fall in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Moving Turtles From Road
Whenever I can stop safely, I help turtles cross the road, making sure to move them in the direction they were headed. Placing them back where they started…
Colorful Three-toed Box Turtle
I had the incredible opportunity to witness a remarkable sight—a vibrant Three-toed Box Turtle gracefully crossing the asphalt section of the tour road.
Three-toed Box Turtle Close-up
I had the pleasure of capturing a remarkable close-up photo of a Three-Toed Box Turtle during my visit to the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
Three-toed Box Turtle Walking On Rocks
Presented here is an image I captured of a Three-toed Box Turtle as it sauntered across a cluster of rocks. These rocks are now commonplace on the tour road…
Ouachita Map Turtle
I captured a photo of a unique turtle species, which I later identified as an Ouachita Map Turtle after conducting some research. This particular turtle was…
Eastern River Cooter
Back in June 2018, I had the pleasure of photographing an Eastern River Cooter at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. As luck would have it,…