Can anybody give a positive ID on this turtle?
I've seen some strange things around Chicago fishing, but I couldn't positively ID this turtle.
After we both came home, Norm Minas and I both made guesses that it was a common map turtle, but that is simply an informed guess. Turtles are not my specialty.
Check out this IDNR page on turtles. It certainly seems to fit being a common map turtle.
It was caught this morning by Norm, on a ripe soft shell, during an outing along the Kankakee River in the state park.
Frankly, I can't resist running the photo of Norm, the fabled Kankakee smallmouth fisherman, with a turtle he caught.
That man knows every Smallmouth in the Kankakee personally. I think they just let him catch them so the can say hi to an old friend. I still think he looks like Gerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead.
From my cousin a very Knowledgeable turtle guy..
"female Graptemys geographica"
Not even full grown yet
It's good to know Norm and I are smarter than we look.
Hey, I resemble that remark.