Hi everyone! This will be a short post, but one regarding an interesting sighting I had while having lunch at a local diner today. The diner, known aptly as the Lakeside Diner (info), sits on a lake that is frequented by many bird species. Besides the common grackle, blue jay, and house sparrows I saw today, a denizen of the water made an appearance. As a brown rat was getting ready to head back into the lake, a large beak made a splash as it grabbed the poor rodent and dragged it into the abyss. It was none other than the maw of a common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina.
This turtle, covered in knobs and scales, was around three or so feet in length. It was quite the cryptodiran. As it plunged back into the murky water, I was able to get some photos of its rugged back and tail. Here they are:
It goes to show that even in the suburban setting of Stamford, Connecticut, truly incredible species may be found.
An Odyssey of Time 