Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Red-eared pond dweller

 Her name is Stella. She doesn't respond to it. She responds to sunlight, warmth, and moving shadows.

Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) 

Stella lives in a backyard pond. She was sunning herself on a rock and saw me before I saw her; I caught a flurry of motion, a glimpse of her shell as she dove into the water. But a minute later, she came out to watch me watching her, half-hidden beneath the leaves.

These turtles are listed as an invasive species here in BC. Stella lives in a fenced enclosure; she won't be released into the wild, and won't be producing eggs.

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Se llama Estela. No responde a su nombre; le pone atención al sol, al calor, a las sombras en movimiento.

Es una tortuga de orejas rojas, Trachemys scripta elegans. Vive en un estanque de un jardín particular. Se asoleaba sobre una piedra, y me vió antes de que yo la viera; apenas vi un movimiento brusco, un vistazo a su caparazón al sumergirse. Pero pasando un minuto, salió para observarme desde su escondite bajo unas hojas.

Estas tortugas, nativas de la región que comprende el sureste de los Estados Unidos y el noreste de México (Wikipedia), aquí en Colombia Británica están contadas entre las especias exóticas invasoras. Pero Estela vive en un espacio cerrado y no va a escapar al medio ambiente natural, ni se reproducirá.




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