Sammy the Snapper, on the Move

[AWSubie]

I have a soft spot for most reptiles and amphibians; but I’ve never found love for snapping turtles, copperheads and rattle snakes.

 

[Doughknob]

Their necks are also longer than you realize... don't ask me how I know that.

I used to pick them up by grabbing the shell between the front and back feet from behind. They can't quite get their heads 180 degrees around. They try to, but if you keep fingers in tight to the grip, you're good.

 

[Jstpssng]

I used to pick them up by grabbing the shell between the front and back feet from behind. They can't quite get their heads 180 degrees around. They try to, but if you keep fingers in tight to the grip, you're good.

That's just what I did, but she almost got me anyways. I have a bad habit of "helping" turtles out of the road... for snappers I carry a snow shovel. What always amazes me is the number of leeches which are often attached to them. That shell must not be as hard as it seems.

 

[Doughknob]

Ha. I used to move them off the road too. One time i did so and another driver saw me. He stopped and came over after i moved it and said, they make good soup, and took it! I couldn't belive it.

 

[Jstpssng]

Ha. I used to move them off the road too. One time i did so and another driver saw me. He stopped and came over after i moved it and said, they make good soup, and took it! I couldn't belive it.

I've never had it myself but have heard that about them also. You do need to know how to prepare it.
The only bad part about turtle soup is that the next day you find yourself moving very s-l-o-w-l-y.

 

[old and tired]

I was cleaning out a 5'x6'x2' rubber lined pond which had been flooded over by our creek - lucky it was winter time. Using a shovel to get the muck out and thought I got a hold of a rock... Nope, Snapping turtle about a foot long and 8" across!! With him flipped over, slide the shovel under it and put him in a trash can.

We live on a good size creek so I set him free into the creek. Decided we didn't need that third pond and removed it...

Funny side note, those ponds really attracted bull frogs... both super cool sounds but also very annoying at the same time. Anyway, the pond froze over and all these "dead" bull frogs were all under the ice. Not wanting a stinking pond from them rotting away, I collected them into a garbage can again... and set them "free" into the creek. I think they might have warmed up and came to about 20 miles down stream!! (thinking, where the heck am I...)

 

[Jstpssng]

I've found snakes out in the snow during deer season before, obviously alive yet too anemic to go to shelter.
Apparently they didn't watch the weather channel before going to bed the night before.

 

[Richard]

The ones we'd see while snorkeling would turn and swim away if they saw you.

You'd all run away if you saw me....

 

[MossRoad]

Keep your suit on.

 

[r porter]

mom would stop and help any snapper she found in the road into the truck bed and then into the frying pan.

snapper is the best wild game ever cooked.

on a Canada fishing trip we were taking a dip in the lake and a rather large snapper started to come for my toes. he was about a 12 incher in if i stopped and wiggled my toes he would turn around and start for them. when i stamped my foot he would turn and swim away. after the third turn i reached in the water and picked him up by the tail. every one was shocked that i could catch him.

the following year in a different lake my bud done the same thing to catch one.