Boxwoods have been in the news. A new invasive insect, Box Tree Moth,
has been found in parts of Ohio.
https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/invasive-pests/invasive-insects/btm
But with over 40 years in the industry, I have never seen this organism among Boxwoods, a snapping turtle.
On a recent site visit, a woman called me and said something was among her Boxwood Shrubs. Right away, I thought it could be one of the following:
Boxwood Winter Dieback
https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/2198
Boxwood Leaf Miner
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2102
Boxwood Psyllid
Boxwood Blight
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1359
Box Tree Moth
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2455
As it turned out, none of the above.
It was a Snapping Turtle!
Obviously, I was not touching the turtle!
Big mouth:
Sharp claws:
Why would it be in a flower/shrub bed?
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has a great resource online:
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/reptiles-amphibians/snapping-turtle
Snapping turtles will leave a body of water to lay eggs in sandy or loose soil. I can assume this flower bed had a combination of loose soil and mulch.
At first, I just said leave it alone. But I guess the attention it was getting from us encouraged it to move. I assume it would cross the street and lay eggs in the mound close to a pond.
Mound:
The turtle had other ideas.
Why not cross the street!
As you can imagine, cars were stopping. The local fire station was informed and with the use of a coal shovel, the fireman helped the old lady across the street!
So, keep scouting your landscape plants and beds. You never know what you might find!
