On the river with zee Germans

[cdmay]

For your enjoyment...the turtle hunting trip with some Germans on Spring Creek and the Chipola.

Here are the participants...from left to right.
Mario Herz, Markus Auer and Suzy Auer.
Markus and Mario have traveled the world studying turtles and both have published at least several authoritative books.

With me...

My favorite find of the trip. A gorgeous young female Mobile cooter, Pseudemys concinna 'mobilensis'. I caught her hiding under a tangle of branches in only a few feet of water.
Fraulein Auer doing a Forrest Gump impersonation...perfect!

Better shot. Photos simply do not convey the vibrant beauty of this animal.

Mobile cooters: swift swimmers, vegetarians and all class. Very cool turtles!

Carapace:

My next favorite. A juvenile Barbour's map turtle, Graptemys barbouri. Or as my German friends call them, "Grap-tee-meez barber-eee"
Here my boat-mate Mario holds it.
BTW, the German's never uttered the word canoe, it was always 'the boat'.

Closer, a young female.

This is a nice young female barbouri that Markus caught all by himself.
Notice the awesome looking leech on her plastron!

Mario at the front of our boat with the 'Pelican' Cypress tree behind him.

Believe it or not, these are my only photos of the trip. Most of the time I was in the water and would hand off any turtles I caught to Markus for photographing and release---or 'give away' as my German friends referred to releasing.

 

[Yvonne G]

What a nice trip. And it looks like the weather was perfect for it.

 

[Anthony P]

I know them!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[wellington]

Fun day.

 

[juli11]

Last week there was a "Schildkröten Tag" (turtle day) in Germany and Markus and Mario were there too and speak about the trip. Also about the meeting with Chris Leone.

 

[cdmay]

Last week there was a "Schildkröten Tag" (turtle day) in Germany and Markus and Mario were there too and speak about the trip. Also about the meeting with Chris Leone.

Did they relate how I got my car stuck in the Apalachicola National Forest?

 

[juli11]

Did they relate how I got my car stuck in the Apalachicola National Forest?

No I don't know. He spoke more about Chris leone and his turtle collection and keeping methods.

 

[Anthony P]

And they didn't mention the guy who brought them to Chris' place!? Haha

 

[juli11]

Do you mean yourself? I think I can remember they said anything about Anthony but I can't remember what..

 

[Anthony P]

Hahaha, yeah, I was being sarcastic

They spent their first 3 days with me, tracking wood turtles, eastern box turtles, spotted turtles and painted turtles in the wild. We also visited Chris' place together.

 

[Gillian M]

Lovey pics! Thanks for sharing.

 

[juli11]

If I'll come to America at one time I'll have the same trip Anthony!

 

[Anthony P]

If I'll come to America at one time I'll have the same trip Anthony!

Don't threaten me with a good time ;-)

 

[cdmay]

Don't threaten me with a good time ;-)

If both of you tourists show up down here I'll show you how to catch turtles.

 

[Anthony P]

If both of you tourists show up down here I'll show you how to catch turtles.

Hahaha! I might need you to! Every species and habitat is a little different. I'd be lost going after Graptemys for the first time, I bet.

The first time I went out for Glyptemys, I had no idea what to look for. It took like 5 trips out there before I felt like I had a fighting chance to find turtles, haha.