Spring Turtles

Every spring I visit this same pond (in the area on other business) and photograph the same turtles. I think they must be used to spectators, because it is nearly impossible, in my experience, to get this close to basking turtles in wilder places. The two on the left are Midland Painted Turtles, the three to the right are Red-Eared Sliders (the grown up version of the little green "pet store" turtles you had as a kid). Red-Eared Sliders have become a world-wide exotic pest (in other countries) because of the pet trade and escaped or released turtles. They are crowding out native species and causing havoc in other ecosystems. When I was in Malaysia a few years ago, I saw a story in a local paper about a miraculous multicolored turtle that mysteriously appeared in a pond at a Buddhist monastery. People came from far and wide to receive miraculous cures offered by this holy, mysterious turtle. The picture was of a monk holding a Red-Eared Slider.
Camera: Nikon D80, 18-135 Nikkor zoom lens
John

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Another view of the same turtles, this time with a sixth. Can you spot it? It's a Snapping turtle, much larger than the sliders on the log.
John

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