It rained today and there were a few pools of water for a few minutes here and there, its pretty bad down here really dry things are dying. The farms I know have lost all the grazers - every single animal dead.
Ponds I know here on the coast from childhood 50 years ago are dry and have been dry for a year. Even when it rains as it has been for last week - 6mm - two days later 3 mm - 2mm - 6mm the old ponds only have surface water for perhaps a hr or two, then soaked away.

Today we did not work because of rain and as I am apt to do, I took a ride out to range. I shoot - its fun.
Near the range entrance, the ANC has been hard at work bettering our lives and the road is almost gone and full of pot holes. As I passed one pot hole I saw movement and being me I stopped to look what was bit unnatural about that pot hole.
In the pot hole I found a turtle (terrapin) making the best of the moment. After a short video I moved away and waited to see what he would do. It would seem I have a answer for how they move such great distances over dry land - he leaves one pot hole/ water catchment spot and rush's along to the next temporary water and does so over and over while it rains or shortly there after. I noticed at the holes he stopped he tried burrowing himself in each one, I am guessing that he will travel wet spot to wet spot stretching his travels to last wet moment and bury himself in a wet spot till next rains knowing that when it rains water will collect there as it did before.
In this way he can move great distances to water far away, I wonder now if his come from place has dried up and how he knows it is a better bet to risk travel than to wait it out where he grew up - what does this creature know about the next few months and rain that we do not see understand.
For those interested here are two videos, - I followed him for half hr then took him down to the old river at bottom of high ground he was descending, perhaps later - a million years later when we meet in the great here after the old terrapin will remember the man who helped him, put a good word in for Dave, gonna need it.

https://flic.kr/p/2hBQKWq
https://flic.kr/p/2hBMSNp