Speechless Sunday - our turtles come out to play!

I've mentioned our pond and pond critters a few times in our blog, so I thought it was about time to share some photos!

Nathan built a flagstone-lined pond in our atrium; to the left is our soft shell turtle basking. All aquatic turtles need to be able to get out of the water and dry out, so they don't get waterlogged/shell rot. I'd never heard of soft shells until Nathan brought them home - their shell is pliable - and they have exceptionally long necks. This guy likes to burrow in the sand on the bottom and cherry-pick minnows; he was about the size of a fifty-cent piece when we bought him; a year and a half later, he's the size of my hand! (LOTS of minnows contributed to that...!)

The second photo shows one of our red-eared sliders - the most common acquatic turtle. He, too, has grown dramatically. Not the best photos, but I was shooting through our windows, as they all scurry back into the pond when we come out.....we have 2 sliders, and 2 map turtles - although they have been evasive lately!

Our turtles are happy in the pond year-round; we have snail vines covering the top of our pergola over the pond to create extra shade, and in the winter, we turn on their pond heater. They get a bit slower/dormant in the winter, but it's a good life for them!

Nathan can build a pond for anyone in the Phoenix area - just contact us if you'd like an estimate....