So slow, moss grows on his back

I found this very small turtle in a small pool clogged with coontail moss and various forms of freshwater algae.

I dipped it out of the water easily with a small minnow net.

It measured 1 1/2 inches across its back.

I placed it in a small glass of clear water, where the moss growing on its back was most evident.

I took its picture, then released it back into the unappealing place where I found it.

This little creature is an animal that seldom ventures out of the safety of slow-moving water. It is a stinkpot turtle, probably a couple years old.

Stinkpot turtles grow very slowly and may live to be more than 30 years old.

Adults may grow to about 5 or 6 inches across the back.

Stinkpot turtles eat aquatic snails, small crayfish, aquatic insect larvae, some vegetation and dead animal matter submerged in water.

If handled, a stinkpot turtle can exude a pungent odor.

It also may bite you.