Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Turtle Hunting Raccoon


This little raccoon (Procyon lotor) came out to hunt in the pond early one recent afternoon. . . indicating just how hungry he must be. Raccoons typically feed at night.

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There are no turtles remaining in the ponds and the fish have long-since been killed by the otters. I haven't seen a snake in months either. All that remains are crayfish (Procambarus).

Undeterred, this little guy spent about 30 minutes digging around in the first pond. It is not all that deep so he never had the water over his head.

While it appears he's looking at me, I don't think that was the case. I was inside . . . perhaps 50 feet away (15 meters) taking the photos with a long lens through both window glass and two sets of screens.

It didn't appear that he caught anything despite much effort.

Emerging from the pond he looked dejected.

As all the turtles are already missing, I left out a big bowl of turtle food before dark, which he promptly devoured.

Below: He's digging around in the squirrel's food and a mess of hoses I use to irrigate the grounds. He found a few almonds but didn't quite know what to do with them.

This little raccoon -- obviously hungry -- is another casualty of the ongoing drought and the mismanagement of Florida's scarce fresh water resources.

We've Read:
#1 is of course David "Wolfman" Williams
who played his entire pro-career with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, made internationally famous for his crazy transformation from "wolfman" to what you see above for the charity Gods of Football, Naked for a Cause initiative.
David "Wolfman" Williams on twitter @wolfmanwilliams
# 2 has to be Thomas Combezou who plays centre for Castres in France's top division of rugby union.  Combezou has made a similar transformation, repeatedly, for the Dieux du Stade (Stadium Gods) charity calendars. 
Thomas on twiter
For 10 more top picks click on the link above.

Misconception: In an asteroid belt, spaceships have to dodge a fusillade of oncoming rocks.

Actually: If you were in the middle of an asteroid belt, you probably wouldn’t see any asteroids at all.