Return of the Backyard Denizens

It had been very dry out there for a few weeks.

Then, a huge thunderstorm came through the area yesterday afternoon.  This morning the ground was wet and the air was thick with humidity.

This was apparently what the local Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina) were waiting for.

My daughter and I were about to head out back and enjoy the morning cool, when I happened to glance out the window and see this fella wandering across the lawn.

We ran out and, much to my daughter's delight, got to hold the little urban box turtle (a male, as you can see by the concave plastron in the second picture below).

I then took him across the road in the direction he was heading.  There is a somewhat mature wooded buffer between the houses across the street.  I watched him from our side while pushing my daughter in her swing to see which direction he would head.  I figured I'd stop him if he started making his way back to road.  But, as I suspected, within a few minutes he quickly scooted into the woods beyond and out of sight.

For more information on box turtles in suburbia, I've summarized some pertinent information in a previous post.

Happy Friday everyone!