Turtles.  All sorts of turtles.  Because turtles are cool, especially if you can get them to sit still long enough to capture a respectable photo.

That last photo gives me the willies.  Why?  Here, take a closer look.

By my count, there are six mosquitoes visible on this side alone.  What about the other side?

Worse still, other than retracting its head and hoping for the best, what defense does a turtle have when it comes to mosquitoes?  From this image, I’d say none.  And boy does that make me itch.

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Photos:

1. Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) perched on a log
2. Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) sunning on a debris pile
3. Female river cooter (Pseudemys concinna) building a nest
4. Male three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) sitting in the middle of a trail
5. Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) crossing a dirt road
6. Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) on the side of the road
7. Close-up of a red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) with mosquitoes covering its head