I happened to see this little snapping turtle the other day as I was walking around the fish rearing ponds at work. I could have easily missed seeing it, it blends in so well with dead leaves and mud and rocks. His (her?) shell was about four inches in diameter; I don't think I've ever seen a snapping turtle that size, although I've seen inch-long babies and large adults.
Even at this size, if the turtle decided to latch on to a finger I'm guessing it could be quite painful. So I just thanked it for the photo opportunity and moved on.
Chuck Berry was afraid of these :)
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing this one is not a newborn. The mud on its carapice suggests that it has spent a winter at the bottom of a pond. So can you guesstimate how old this one is?
ReplyDeleteFC- Oh you ding-a-ling! :) I had to Google the reference on that one.
ReplyDeletepablo- I'd say at least two years. It hasn't had time to grow this year, and I know the hatchlings are pretty small in their first winter. But being this is a cold climate, three might be a better guess.
You guys play rough--- I thought I was doing good to be able to recognize a snapper --- now I have to figure out its age??? :=)
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweetie! Thanks for posting this photo. I used to play with baby snappers in the Maryland woods when I was seven/eight. Never even thought one could bite until my father reached in to a pile of leaves ...
ReplyDeleteYour post brought back bittersweet memories of my Dad, who we lost in 2004. The old homestead has a pond, and we always had some critter or another poking it's head up, and many times it was a snapper. I remember my Dad scooping one up from behind with a shovel after it laid eggs near the house...scooped it up and ran...never saw Dad move that fast before!!!
ReplyDeletedefinitely not a newborn, they're much smaller.. but you're right in that they have a mean bite. We always stop to move them off the road, which isn't always easy because they snap large branches in two.
ReplyDeleteFrom one snapper fan to another :)
endment- I did a quick Google search for resources on aging snapping turtles, and found there is no tried-and-true method. So it's anyone's guess.
ReplyDeletePam- they are cute, aren't they?
Susan- Your Dad was a wise man.
Cindy- I was heartbroken once when I saw someone deliberately run over a box turtle in the road. (This was in Missouri). And yes, it's definitely been around a year or two.
I neglected to mention that in my work, setting trap nets, I have wrangled perhaps a hundred of these, with shells from twelve to maybe twenty inches in diameter, out of the nets. Not an easy task; their claws catch in the mesh of the nets and their necks are surprisingly flexible...beware. I have not been bitten yet (knock wood!)
What a cutie! The pale, fresh greens in your spring picture are beautiful, Deb. We're probably only a few days behind in leafing out.
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