A rain turtle is a ritual believed to bring about rain, especially in periods of drought. The practice is commonly considered to be of Native American origin. To perform the ceremony, one uses a stick to draw a turtle facing West in the sand or dirt of an area in need of rain. The stick is then driven into the ground so that it remains protruding from the turtle's back. The time required for the action to take effect varies from one account to another, ranging from occurring instantaneously to taking several days.
The practice has become somewhat common with surveyors, hunters, ranchers, gardeners and other people working outdoors, particularly in the Western United States.[1] Some people that work outside and rely on favorable work conditions might draw this, in hopes that it will rain and will get them out of work. Getting caught doing this at a job site might result in the person that drew it to get into trouble.
A variation on the ceremony requires that those participating must spit onto the turtle's back, and is thus called a spit turtle.[2]
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