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Wonder of Science

A snapping turtle emerges from weeks of sleeping beneath a muddy lake that had dried up.

Image credit: Timothy C. Roth
Further reading: livescience.com/64215-earth-tu

@Rachel_Thorn @wonderofscience
Perhaps, it's not possible though to assume that one is sure of how ancient myths began imo.

@Rachel_Thorn @wonderofscience
I was about to say that mound of dirt looks kind of.. Pachyderm-ish.

@wonderofscience For the visually impaired:
The massive turtle in the photo has a tall column of soil covering most of its shell. The top of the column is perfectly flat, and various green plants grow on the top, so that it seems the turtle has a little world on its back.

Please always include #AltText in your images for the benefit of the Fediverse's many visually impaired users. #AltTextForYou

@wonderofscience @Rachel_Thorn

I often forget to add text. Following this bot will give you a reminder if you forget:

@alt_text

@wonderofscience

Put some elephants between the greenery and his shell and this is a picture of the world turtle.

@wonderofscience My humble contribution to the memeing in this thread: Torterra.

@Haste @wonderofscience I came to this thread to find this response. Please accept my humble like.

@wonderofscience It looks like it was completely covered during sleeping(?) How did it breathe then?

@rauschma @wonderofscience yeah that was my question. Some snapping turtles have really long telescoping necks so maybe it would snorkel it's head up when it needed to breathe

@pixelpusher220 Makes sense! (Sadly one doesn’t always see all replies on Mastodon—yours did not show up on my server.)

@pixelpusher220 It’d be great if Mastodon could show those, too!

@wonderofscience
"See the TURTLE of enormous girth! On his shell he holds the earth. His thought is slow but always kind; he holds us all within his mind .On his back all vows are made; he sees the truth but mayn't aid. He loves the land and loves the sea, And even loves a child like me."
Steven King - Dark Tower series

@wonderofscience oh snap, where's your science now, round globular spherical earthers?

@wonderofscience This reminds me of Freya's house on top of a Giant Turtle in God of War and God of War: Ragnarok when Kratos deals with the Norse gods.

@wonderofscience He looks like he could be the origin story for Terry Pratchett’s turtle

@wonderofscience thank you!
"winter mud hole" is the term i always needed

@wonderofscience Objective proof that it's turtles all the way down.

@wonderofscience wow..that’s unbelievable. Took me a bit to find the turtle..

@wonderofscience
I particularly liked this chapter in God of War (2018).

@wonderofscience ass, cash or grass. No one rides for free. 😊

@wonderofscience It's the Great A'Tuin. That's obviously #Discworld on his back.