You Crack Me Up

 
This was an Eastern Painted Turtle. As you can see from the crack in his shell he fell victim to a vehicle of some sort. Probably run over by a truck during recent development of abandoned farmland. Part of the development was a combination of sandy beach (good for laying eggs), stream and swamp that was perfect turtle habitat. As children we always went over to check on these guys and watch them bask on a rotting log in the swamp. There was something timeless about them. Whenever we visited, year after year on any sunny day, there the turtles were in the same location basking away.

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