Depending on where you live, you can usually expect some visitors to your garden — whether it's bumblebees, chipmunks, or any other assortment of wildlife. However, one couple on Reddit was shocked to find a large snapping turtle that made herself right at home in the raised bed they had been building.
The post shows two photos of the snapping turtle next to the wall of the garden bed — she had dug herself a hole just big enough to fit her shell. To the Redditor's surprise, the snapping turtle had chosen to lay her eggs right there in the garden.
The Redditor explained that they had been building a raised garden bed for their wife when the adventurous turtle decided to make herself comfortable.
The entire sight is pretty remarkable — the poster explained that there is a stream running through the backyard, but that they weren't accustomed to seeing wildlife other than frogs. "I haven't seen fish or turtles for years. She shows up out of nowhere, lays her eggs, and crawls back to the stream," he wrote, "We are a bit excited to see baby turtles in a few months."
Gardening has many obvious benefits — such as easy access to fresh produce and beautiful flowers — but this post shows that your garden may just attract some fun visitors, too.
If you have kids, or even just a soft spot for the beauty of nature, your garden can be a fantastic way to attract a variety of animals to admire — and you can even tailor it to attract specific ones. This would take some research to see what creatures are native to your area, but milkweed, for example, attracts monarch butterflies, and honeysuckle is great for getting the attention of hummingbirds.
This can be a great educational tool for kids, and it also aids the local wildlife by providing extra resources — namely, food and shelter, but in this case, a place to begin the next generation of turtles.
Redditors shared the original poster's shock and awe for the animal: "That's something you don't see every day," wrote one, while another added, "She's super beautiful. Turtles are just so cool."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
