1. My One Small Square POND By Brianne Mud Turtle

2. Mud Turtle Kinosternon In Iowa it is illegal to kill a Mud Turtle. It is also illegal to keep a Mud Turtle as a pet. Even though they are so cute, you can’t keep one! Don’t disturb a Mud Turtle, they will give off a foul-smelling smell called musk. If you disturb a Mud Turtle you should quickly run home and take a shower! If you compare it to a skunk it’s just as smelly. They are 3-5 inches long. Even though they’re small they have strong jaws. So, they might bite.

3. POND My One Small Square By Logan Brown Bullhead

4. Brown Bullhead lcalurus nebulosus Brown Bullheads are hard as a rock so their predators can’t eat them. It’s like a human eating a jaw breaker when you first put it in your mouth. Bullhead is a name given to six species. There is an Indian legend about a man who has six different names like the bullhead. Since a bullhead does not have scales they do not look dangerous. But when you get closer WATCH OUT for their whiskers because barbs are on the end of their whiskers like on the top of a prison fence.

5. Pond My One Small Square By Aaron Nygaard Cottonmouth

6. Cottonmouth Snake Agkistrodon Piscivorus A Cottonmouth does not chew its prey, instead it opens its very large mouth very wide and swallows its prey whole. Cottonmouths have very large hollow fangs that are used to deliver their poison or venom to their prey! When disturbed, it escapes by slipping into the water, diving out of sight or swimming away.

7. My One Small Square POND By Erin Olson Red Bellied Turtle

8. Red Bellied Turtle Chrysemys Rubriventris During the mating season male and female red- bellied turtles perform a courtship ritual. The male turtle faces his mate and strokes her head and neck with his very long front claws. Red-bellied turtles usually are 10 to 15 ¾ inches long and have their special diet. They only eat snails, crayfish, tadpoles, and water plants. Shy red-bellied turtles will do anything to avoid getting into trouble and love to sunbathe on warm rocks.