Cool, Dead Stuff

[RednekF350]

Yesterday I set out to check out a few dikes that I haven't seen in awhile.
They werent home though, so I went out in the woods instead.

I was actually looking for critter tracks and some future snare locastions and came across some unusual finds.
I am always looking at the ground for tracks and scat wherever I go but this was a little obvious.
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10504

The shell was spotless and looks like a museum piece.
It has been dead for awhile but I believe only recently drug into the road.
Here it is next to my rendition of a thumbs up:
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10507

Next out on the dike I found my favorite kind of snake. (dead)
He looked like he died wrapped over this stump, although I couldn't find his head.
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10506

Lastly, I found scales from former fish that have been regularly consumed by a resident otter. This is next to his hole along the dike.
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10503

I walked the frozen areas around the dikes but found no critter tracks at all.
I will be leaving my current snare sets where they are for now.
Scott

 

[Teegate]

I always feel bad for the turtles

Guy

 

[RednekF350]

I always feel bad for the turtles

Guy

That is the second one I have found in that area.
The other was about two years ago and I posted pics of that one too. That one was fresh.
The one I found yesterady was as clean as a whistle and it really looked out of place in the middle of that road.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

The snake spine is a cool find!

 

[RednekF350]

The snake spine is a cool find!

I left it intact and I want to go back again and do some more forensics.
As I said, I didn't find a head and he was entwined under a small branch on the stump.
It is probably a common water snake from its location on a narrow dike between two bogs.

I am like a little kid when I find stuff in the woods. I bring everything home and try to find a place to display it. (Except the snake skeleton)
The turtle shell is on a table in my kitchen for now and I have wooden shelves in our living room with a fox skull, a raccoon skull, shed deer antlers, 2 lost horseshoes and a spur.
On the living room wall are (4) 8 pointers , a pickerel and a male woody.
My wife is very understanding to say the least.

 

[dragoncjo]

Scott, the turtle actually is a non native turtle. Its either a red eared slider or some sort of cooter. It isn't our native northern redbelly though. This probably explains both it being out of place and dead.

Scott, how big was the snake skeleton? Could you estimate a width? Was the log burned recently?
Thanks

 

[woodjin]

Nice report Scott. I too have a collection. Mostly skulls. My wife makes me keep them in the garage though. I guess they freak her out a little. Especially the human ones.....

 

[RednekF350]

Scott, the turtle actually is a non native turtle. Its either a red eared slider or some sort of cooter. It isn't our native northern redbelly though. This probably explains both it being out of place and dead.

Scott, how big was the snake skeleton? Could you estimate a width? Was the log burned recently?
Thanks

That's interesting Dragon.
I assumed the turtle was a redbelly since the one I found two years ago definitely was. I thought maybe death and weathering caused the red color loss.
The shell is 13" x 8".
The shell is olive brown on top and glossy, while the bottom is a dull yellow.
Red eared sliders are the escapee dime store turtles that you used to be able to buy at Woolworth's for a quarter correct?

As for Mr. Snake, he was about 18" long and between 3/4" and 1" in diameter.
If you click on my picture again after it loads, it will enlarge and you can see a little more detail in the skeketon.
If something bit it to kill it I would think they would have eaten it. No recent burns in this area either.
It is strange but it appears to have merely run out of gas while navigating the stump.

 

[LARGO]

Perhaps the snake was killed?
(human of course, maybe lopped off the head)
Then draped across the log.

g.