Blanding`s Turtle and Foxsnake

Turtles have been up laying eggs for a while now (evident by all the predated nests) and many are still to lay. This is of course the most dangerous time for the turtles as gravid females are crossing roadways looking for a suitable nesting site and many get smucked by vehicles. Today in a very short span I came across 2 Blanding's Turtles and 3 Painted Turtles. They were very near to roadways either coming from or going to a nesting site. Blanding's Turtles are a threatened species and can wander very far from water. They can be identified by their high-domed, helmet-like shell, and bright yellow throat.

The big surprise of the day was finding a rather large (~4 foot) Eastern Foxsnake, an endangered species that I don't find too often. This guy was laying completely outstretched across the left tire track of a busy road so I was very lucky to find him before he got ran over. He wasn't headed anywhere in a hurry and I suspect he was just hanging out on the road absorbing the heat from the asphalt. I tried to encourage him off the road with my shoe but that just seemed to upset him so I quickly got a stick to help move him. I got him onto the shoulder, took some photos, and then moved him into some vegetation where he quickly slithered away. Hopefully it stays off the road...