A summer storm two years ago produced strong winds that uprooted two large trees. The trees fell down close together. I don't know exactly why the box turtle ended up wedged between the logs, where it apparently turned itself upside down and starved to death.
I found the turtle shell on the morning of Dec. 5 as I was cutting wood.
Nature can sometimes be brutal. The big trees did not know the thunderstorm would end their lives. They somehow created a trap that captured the box turtle. The box turtle did not know that by pushing farther and farther between the logs that it would eventually be unable to turn around and get out.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.