Earth Almanac: April/June 2004

Scent of a Turtle

If you live in the eastern half of the United States, you may meet a stinkpot any day now as it plods up from a pond or dawdling stream to lay eggs. The stinkpot—one of the continent's smallest, least seen, and most abundant turtles—is apt to make a lasting impression in two ways: first with its sharp jaws, then with the malodorous yellow fluid that oozes from under its carapace. All things considered, perhaps you'd prefer not to pick this turtle up. But, as you admire the stinkpot from afar, note the algae sprouting on the smooth, high-domed carapace—evidence of the animal's reluctance to leave the water. Now that you've seen this northernmost species of musk turtle out of its element, look for it in the water at any season. Poor swimmers, stinkpots plod slowly over the bottom, occasionally stretching their long, yellow-striped necks to snatch crayfish, clams, snails, aquatic insects, fish eggs, minnows, tadpoles, and carrion.  

Smoke on the Prairie

Before much else has blossomed, one of our most beloved native plants—prairie smoke (also called torch flower, lion's beard, and old man's whiskers)— brightens the spring prairie. By feeding pollinating insects with nectar and pollen, the pink, budlike flowers help jump-start “energy flows.” In about a month the flowers transform into long, feathery seed tails that resemble smoke and flame, especially when they're tussled by the wind. Occasionally you can find the plant east of the prairies, mainly in New York, where it's restricted to shallow soils underlaid with flat limestone. Prairie smoke is readily available from native-plant nurseries and will thrive in your garden, if you plant it in well-drained, sun-warmed earth.