{"id":2551,"date":"2009-03-31T20:15:49","date_gmt":"2009-04-01T01:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/?p=2551"},"modified":"2010-01-16T12:29:15","modified_gmt":"2010-01-16T17:29:15","slug":"stalking-long-shadows-of-t-rex-in-brainard-marsh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/?p=2551","title":{"rendered":"Stalking Long Shadows of T. Rex in Brainard Marsh"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hazy\u00c2\u00a0Rumors\u00c2\u00a0of T. Rex Sightings on South Coast<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Turtle Journal turns down no challenge, retreats from no obstacle,\u00c2\u00a0avoids no\u00c2\u00a0risk to life\u00c2\u00a0or reputation, in order to gather documentary evidence of natural or even supernatural phenomena for its\u00c2\u00a0loyal readers.\u00c2\u00a0 So, with the same aplomb with which we\u00c2\u00a0approach\u00c2\u00a0terrapin hatchlings, we launched an expedition to the South Coast of Massachusetts to pursue\u00c2\u00a0hazy rumors of\u00c2\u00a0creatures descendent from Tyrannosaurus rex<\/em> roaming loose within Brainard Salt Marsh<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Click Here to View Video in High Quality<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Stalking Shadow of T. Rex\u00c2\u00a0through Brainard Marsh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We won’t reveal our source, but Turtle Journal recovered shadowy footage of Tyrannosaurus rex<\/em>-like creatures prowling the dense woodlands surrounding a freshwater pond within Brainard Marsh, a protected sanctuary of the Sippican Lands Trust<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s been said\u00c2\u00a0that a daring photographer discovered these shadowy predators some time ago, began tracking them stealthily,\u00c2\u00a0then found himself their prey as the critters began stalking him in coordinated motions reminiscent of Jurassic Park velociraptors.\u00c2\u00a0 We make no\u00c2\u00a0claim one way or the other, and let the footage speak for itself.<\/p>\n

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Tyrannosaurus rex Descendents at Brainnard Marsh Pond<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Turtle Journal team visits the Brainard Marsh pond\u00c2\u00a0each year in early spring\u00c2\u00a0to check on its spotted turtle population.\u00c2\u00a0 This year we came forewarned and equipped to document rumors of\u00c2\u00a0T rex-like critters that had moved into Brainard Marsh.\u00c2\u00a0 As we approached the pond, we spotted two-legged creatures clearly descendent from the Tyrannosaurus rex<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0lineage.\u00c2\u00a0 In fact, if we accept the endorsement of Ben Franklin, we might still label these animals T. rex<\/em>; that is, king turkey!<\/p>\n

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“King Turkey” –\u00c2\u00a0 Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

According to National Geographic, How Dinosaurs Morphed to Turkeys<\/a>, “Turkeys are descended from predatory dinosaurs called theropods … The T. Rex dinosaur was actually a giant turkey – a new study of ancient proteins retrieved from a Tyrannosaurus rex<\/em> fossil have confirmed that birds are the closest living relatives to dinosaurs<\/span>.<\/span>“<\/p>\n

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One of a Rafter of Turkeys Taking Refuge in Brainard Marsh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether a\u00c2\u00a0small modern dinosaur\u00c2\u00a0or a large\u00c2\u00a0historic bird, the wild turkey is a truly noble animal.\u00c2\u00a0 Turtle Journal agrees with Ben Franklin that the turkey is an American original whose restoration into the habitat of Southern Massachusetts enriches Nature and our lives.\u00c2\u00a0 Watching a rafter of turkeys move smoothly and covertly through background thickets creates a singularly profound moment of renewal.<\/p>\n

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Nesting Osprey in Brainard Marsh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Leaving the turkeys to the solitude of the pond, we\u00c2\u00a0strolled further\u00c2\u00a0down the path toward the estuary and walked passed an osprey sitting on its nest at the edge of the salt marsh.<\/p>\n

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Seals Basking in Estuary off Brainard Marsh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking to the east, we encountered a pod of seals lazing on exposed rocks in the estuary off Brainard Marsh.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0During a fifteen minute stop to check for the emergence of spotted turtles, we had compiled quite a collection of exotic sightings.\u00c2\u00a0 Now, if the weather would simply warm up enough for turtles to emerge from brumation, we could focus on the journal’s principal focus.\u00c2\u00a0 But in the mean time, we’ll enjoy whatever Nature allows.<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hazy\u00c2\u00a0Rumors\u00c2\u00a0of T. Rex Sightings on South Coast Turtle Journal turns down no challenge, retreats from no obstacle,\u00c2\u00a0avoids no\u00c2\u00a0risk to life\u00c2\u00a0or reputation, in order to gather documentary evidence of natural or even supernatural phenomena for its\u00c2\u00a0loyal readers.\u00c2\u00a0 So, with the same aplomb with which we\u00c2\u00a0approach\u00c2\u00a0terrapin hatchlings, we launched an expedition to the South Coast of Massachusetts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[654],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2551"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2551"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3943,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2551\/revisions\/3943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}