I found a turtle today

[aquariuscsm]

Anyone know what kind of turtle this is? It has the face,neck,and head of a soft shell turtle,but the shell and tail of a common snapper. I've never seen a snapper with a neck and head like that before,but soft shells don't have long tails like that. And it was HUGE too!!

 

[dlundblad]

Looks like a snapper with that rougher shell.

Miniature dinosaurs is what they are.

We have a swamp down the road that always had one just chilling on a log during the day. All 4 long legs handing down like a bear sleeping in a tree. Sure wish I had a photo.

 

[Bandito440]

Snapping turtle! They're such a neat, ancient creature.

I used to live in a swampy part of NY, where they were constant visitors. I would move them out of the road on a daily basis. Tricky business, that.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Snappers are a nuisance in my area. We go out our way to reduce the population whenever we can. They are a danger to waterfowl and fish habitat. Many in my area see them on the road and they take aim at them with their vehicle.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Snappers are a nuisance in my area. We go out our way to reduce the population whenever we can. They are a danger to waterfowl and fish habitat. Many in my area see them on the road and they take aim at them with their vehicle.
Bambi Turtles?

 

[ragtoplvr]

That is a common snapping turtle. They never stop growing, I have cleaned one that was over 80 LBS. There are supposed to be 7 kinds of meat in a snapper. I do not know about that but they make good soup and stews.

There is a alligator snapper that has a rougher shell and looks much more dangerous. It is the one I think of when I imagine how a snapping turtles looks, they are less common though.

They can impact fish population in ponds, and usually require control.

They also can remove a finger.

Rod

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Miniature dinosaurs is what they are.


Same with the Komodo Dragon.

 

[bvance554]

They taste good.

 

[doitmyself]

I'm not squeamish around critters, but noodling for snappers un-nerves me. They say that it is safe because they always burrow into the stream bank head first. The video is mostly small ones.

 

[SHOZ]

Found this snapper laying eggs one year out by my garden.




3 months later.....





I have a nephew who is the turtle expert at the U of Illinois in Champaign, I'll see if he can identify the first pic.

 

[Win]

It's darker pigmented than the ones around here, but I would consider it a garden variety snapper until proven otherwise, and keep all my digits well away from it.

People around here noodle for catfishes, which is incomprehensible to me. I've seen catfish that have been shot in the head and fileted and still won't turn loose of a pair of pliers in their mouth.

I can't imagine sticking my hand into a snapper's lair. That just seems like begging to lose fingers.