Turtle's crossing!

This turtle must have been really lost - Steve found it crossing our front yard one night. He kept it so that Nate and Sarah could figure out what kind of turtle it is - no, we don't still have it! After keeping it for a couple of days the kids took it down to the river and let it go. They each wrote an essay about the turtle. Here's what they wrote:

Nate: My report is on a western painted box turtle that I named Van Hogh after the famous painter. He was found in our front yard at 9:15 last night. He eats water plants, leeches, crabs, and clams. One of the interesting facts about Van Gogh and other turtles like him is that he swallows his food under water.

Sarah: Western painted turtles are found in Wisconsin and Illinois, west across the great plains to Washington and Oregon. They grow to be 4 to 9 inches long. They eat water plants, leeches, crabs and clams. They swallow their food underwater. The shell is olive green and black. The clawed feet are webbed. Tail is short. The underside is reddish with a dark blotch that spreds out at the edges. The small head usually has a yellow spot behind each eye. Turtey/Van Gogh has a yellow spot behind each eye. (She named the turtle Turtley)