A snapping turtle emerges from weeks of sleeping beneath a muddy lake that had dried up.
Image credit: Timothy C. Roth
Further reading: https://www.livescience.com/64215-earth-turtle-photo.html
@wonderofscience Peak Monday vibes
@wonderofscience Surely this must be the origin of the World Turtle myth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Turtle
@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 The Great A'Tuin.
@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
@Rachel_Thorn Thank you, I've added your description.
@wonderofscience @Rachel_Thorn
I often forget to add text. Following this bot will give you a reminder if you forget:
@wonderofscience this is obviously how Great A'Tuin came to be.
#Discworld
@wonderofscience
Neverending Story - Morla
Put some elephants between the greenery and his shell and this is a picture of the world turtle.
@Haste @wonderofscience I came to this thread to find this response. Please accept my humble like.
@wonderofscience are there elephants in there? My first thought was "#Discworld!"
@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.)
@rauschma it was just a question in my mind hehe
@pixelpusher220 It’d be great if Mastodon could show those, too!
@rauschma that's what Twitter is for now I think....lol
@wonderofscience proof of a flat earth! Finally!
@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 ho ! baby A'Tuin !! #discworld
@wonderofscience
(Octothorp-DiscWorldIsReal)
@wonderofscience
Turtwig evolved!
@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 So, this is the baby stage of the Adamantoise, right? https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Adamantoise_(Final_Fantasy_XV)
Where are the elephants?
@wonderofscience
So, he owns some real estate...sweet!
@wonderofscience Pretty sure I fought this guy in #EldenRing.
@wonderofscience Great A'Tuin
@wonderofscience Getting ready to take flight among the stars. #Discworld #GNUTerryPratchett
@wonderofscience He looks like he could be the origin story for Terry Pratchett’s turtle
@wonderofscience oh look it is a pokemon in real life
@wonderofscience a rare picture of a baby A'Tuin!
#DiscWorld #TerryPratchet
@wonderofscience thank you!
"winter mud hole" is the term i always needed
@wonderofscience a small mobile private island
@wonderofscience I feel seen.
@wonderofscience Objective proof that it's turtles all the way down.
@wonderofscience I guess lion turtles do exist, then!
@wonderofscience wow..that’s unbelievable. Took me a bit to find the turtle..
@wonderofscience
Coffee time
@wonderofscience turtles all the way down
@wonderofscience
I particularly liked this chapter in God of War (2018).
@wonderofscience ass, cash or grass. No one rides for free.
@wonderofscience Smol A'Tuin!
@wonderofscience Turtles also go to hibernation?
@wonderofscience It's the Great A'Tuin. That's obviously #Discworld on his back.