Last week while riding our on the new trail from Northfield to Dundas we stopped for a large turtle on the path.
We got off our bikes to get a closer look and found it was an unusual turtle…one none of us had seen before. We enjoyed looking at it, and wanted to touch it but decided not to. All the while it just stood there (do turtles stand?) waiting for us to leave.
We took in the wonder of it all, then got back on our bikes and continued on our ride. On our way back the turtle was gone.
The next day my friend did some research and found this turtle is called a Trionyx muticus. Click here for a link for more information. It is a soft-shelled turtle with and interesting snout and apparently considered a “special concern species in Minnesota”, which I think makes for a rare sighting.
It was fun to see this creature on the trail and hopefully it will find a safe place along the riverbank to make it’s home.