OkcPets Magazine November 2023

November / December 2023 • OKC Pets 17 A Naturalist in the Making Seven-Year-Old Studies Animal Life Story and photos by Carol Mowdy Bond N aturalists out there should watch their backs because there’s a new man on the scene, and he’s not slowing down anytime soon. Hudson Floyd was two years old when he first caught turtles and frogs and brought them to his parents, Becky and Nic Floyd. That’s not unusual for little boys. But Hudson, who is now seven years old and in second grade, has grown into a full-fledged naturalist. Hudson and his family live on eight acres in the Oklahoma City area. He is one of six children and one of 31 cousins, but he is the only one in that generation whose love of animals has become his lifestyle. It’s helpful that a creek runs through the property and through a neighbor’s property and then goes north to a pond. And Hudson’s grand- parents’ property next door also includes a pond. Life as aWildlife Collector Each morning after breakfast, Hudson, in shorts and T-shirt — he might or might not wear shoes — heads out to collect whatever wildlife he can find. “It’s my idea,” Hudson said. “It’s fun. Sometimes I name the animals I catch, but not always. I’ll be walking through the woods, and my head tells me there’s a snake nearby. I’ll lift leaves and other stuff, and there it is. I go to the creek if it has water in it. If it’s dry, I flip rocks to see what’s under them. If I find snakes that I know need water to live and the creek is dry, I catch them and put them in water or move them to a pond so they won’t die. Or if the snake is in a dry area and it only eats crawfish, I catch crawfish and put them in a bucket with the snake. Then I move the snake to a place with water.” Hudson releases the animals the same evening to the places where he found them or to safer locations for the animals’ sake. When chilly weather hits, he releases them earlier in the day so they can find a good place before cold temperatures set in for the night. However, Hudson caught a green snake and kept it as a pet for three years, naming it Nelly. And he has frogs and toads in his bedroom aquarium. “I know how turtles move their heads,” Hudson said. “So I know how to grab turtles so they won’t bite me. Sometimes I go out with my dogs because the dogs can find turtles.” For huge turtles, Hudson catches with his hands or a fishing net. Or he runs to the house and grabs his dad. A recent catch required a wheelbarrow to lug in a giant turtle. In winter, Hudson goes out in snow and ice, looking for anything he can find. “One time the creek froze,” Hudson said. “I was walking on the ice, and I slipped and broke the ice and fell, and my bottom was cold.” With his brow furrowed, his dad said, “But the frozen water was extremely shal- low.” Researching the Catches With his dad, Hudson researches all his catches, and Hudson’s phenomenal memory allows him to retain the facts and details he learns and put them to use. As a result, the family front porch includes Hudson’s Hudson Floyd holds a bullfrog tadpole whose developing legs can be seen against the bottom of its belly.