Spot More Species of PTown Wildlife

This little box turtle blends into the colors of the forest floor around it.

This week's wildlife pic is a box turtle I found walking through Beech Forest, headed through the trees toward the hill that it would have to climb to reach Black Water Pond, which seemed to be where it might have been set out for. The pattern on its shell and its coloring helped it to blend in with the colors of the forest floor, covered with bits of leaves, dried grasses, twigs and fallen pine needles.
Have you ever noticed how good the cover of the wildlife around us really is? Whether I'm hiking in Foss Woods, walking out in the dunes or near the beaches, or even driving through Beech Forest, I just sort of keep my eyes moving back and forth for anything else that's moving, because the camouflage on some of these animals is so good that you can be looking right at them and still not see them unless they are moving. I spot a lot of flora that way, just by watching for anything that moves.
Try it the next time you're out on the bike trails, or walking on the Old Colony Nature Pathway, or strolling on Duncan Lane. Watch for something moving around you or in the distance, and stop once in a while and stay still for a few moments, maybe sit on a fallen log or an aging fence rail for a bit, keeping your eyes moving. These and so many other areas in Provincetown are simply teeming with wildlife, and you'll see more of it if you just have a little patience, and a bit of luck, and look sharply for anything that moves.