Turtle on a Storm Drain

Pamela encountered this Chinese softshell turtle while on vacation in Japan. What's that? A Chinese turtle inspecting a storm drain in Japan? Well, it's difficult to determine the natural habitat range of Pelodiscus sinensis, since it has been used as a food source for so long among migrating people. They've been found in China (of couse), Taiwan, Manchuria, Korea, and Japan. More recently, they've been introduced to several southeast Asian countries and even into several Hawaiian islands and California.

These turtles are often cooked up as turtle soup. I imagine these are the same critters I saw stacked alive in baskets in Chinatown food shops in San Francisco. When I saw them, I felt an E.T.-style urge to liberate all of them. But I don't think they would have fared any better on the streets of SF than in a soup pot. Practicality won the day, to the turtles' detriment.

Thanks or the photo, Pamela.