Tag Archives: Yellow-bellied Slider

Alligator In The Knees

…and showing off his teeth.

Alligator
Young Alligator, about 4 feet long ( 1.25 Meters)

Alligators will crawl out of the water and just plop down about anywhere, seemingly without a plan, even wound around some cypress knees.

Alligator
Alligator – working on temperature regulation with his mouth open

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that Alligators aren’t active in the winter. It was a warm day, feeling like spring but still the middle of winter.

He just laid there as I was watching this pile of Yellow-bellied Sliders.

Yellow-bellied Sliders
Yellow-bellied Sliders

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
February 1, 2023

Yellow-bellied Sliders, January

I was a bit surprised to see these Yellow-bellied Sliders out of the water. It was warm compared to the near freezing temps we had been having, but they were not in the sun.

Yellow-bellied Sliders On A Log
Yellow-bellied Sliders On A Log

Another pair was on a nearby clump of…something. I didn’t see the one in the water until looking at the images on the computer.

Yellow-bellied Sliders On A Clump
Yellow-bellied Sliders On A Clump

Ravenswood Pond, Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
January 9, 2023

Pile O’Reptiles: Turtles and Alligators

This spot is a favorite for alligators and turtles, and at certain times of the year the light is perfect for reflections. I see parts of four Alligators and two Turtles, one facing the camera and one away, tucked under the left most Alligator.

Alligators and Yellow-bellied Sliders
Alligators and Yellow-bellied Sliders

I was focusing on the draped Alligator arm and didn’t see the turtle peeking up over the top until I was processing my photos.

Alligators and Yellow-bellied Sliders
Alligators and Yellow-bellied Sliders

The last photo was taken about 90 minutes later, the sun had just gone down so not much light. There hadn’t been much movement in the pile.

Alligators and Yellow-bellied Sliders
Alligators and Yellow-bellied Sliders

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
December 12, 2022

Camoflaged Turtles

Yellow-bellied Sliders were taking advantage of the sun on a recent walk around a pond, positioning themselves on anything sticking out of the water. They had traveled through duck weed and other pond vegetation to get to the coveted spots.

Yellow-bellied Slider
Yellow-bellied Slider

I don’t think the vegetation does a thing to protect the turtles. Alligators, the apex predator in this pond, follows his prey by motion and is himself camouflaged by the same pond covering.

Yellow-bellied Sliders
Yellow-bellied Sliders

The smallest turtle I saw added a leg extension to his pose, probably needing a little balance to stay on the pointed rock.

Yellow-bellied Slider
Yellow-bellied Slider