I adore turtles, but I have to admit that smooth softshells are just about the ugliest turtles ever. I mean, they're turtles and I still appreciate them, but they are not a species I want to be staring at close-ups of too often.
I had to stop and take pictures when I saw this turtle in the road. It's hard to tell from the photos, but she's huge. When I saw her shell from the car, I thought it was a hubcap that had been washed onto the road during the flooding last month. Her shell was easily 14 inches in diameter.
July is still breeding season for smooth softshells. I assume that this gal turtle's getting ready to lay some eggs. Unfortunately for her, she chose a spot in between the road and the parking area for the bird observation deck. Assuming someone didn't accidentally run her over before she finished, the eggs are unlikely to survive.
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