terapin (Snapping) turtle

wow he is huge

Well......look at the tail too...what did you do then Lori?

Amazing...
Did you take him home and put him in your pond ? Lol.

Is that a snapping turtle? cool! They have 7 different kinds of meat in them. Make turtle soup.

Good Grief... but he's a big boy ! Wouldn't try and make him do anything he wasn't wanting to do....lol

I moved a large one of these from a busy road once, and almost got caught with those talons!! They are really strong and faster than you think....

Brave you, Grammazoo...the tail is spikey and can inflict harm but it's those incised jaws that do the damage...if the specimen is large enough you could lose your hand...never mind fingers!! They deserve the utmost respect. As it was very early (6:30 a.m.) and it was a very quiet road..and he was almost all the way across ...I decided to just leave him there and let him make his way... I'm sure he is happily ensconced in the swamp and enjoying turtle life! Irish and Janey, you can tell how large he was by the tire tread impressions in the road...not too large but big enough that I would not have wanted to try to lift or assist him in any way!
Although I have heard that turtle soup is delicious, Traceylynn ...I'm not sure I'd know how to go about making it! Just left him to make more little turtles.
;-} !!! Ohaaaaaaa... TT... he'd die of starvation in my little pond...I have only three carp who I rather like... he's a serious predator.
You must be a country girl, Flcrazy! We know our turtles...and snappers we leave alone! lol...

Lori:

Great photo! He look like an old turtle. Can his tail
cause harm?

oh yes, Delonix1! but only if you try to mess with him. he has serious claws on is feet for digging into the muck. You're right about the tail...he can defend himself with it too...and has a built in fish lure...no kidding!

Great picture of a great subject, no messing with him for sure! But he's only a baby yet isn' he I've heard they can top 100 lbs and 2-3 ft across the shell with a mouth large enough to take an adults foot off!

You've been doing research, Indy! yes, and the lure that I mentioned is like a prehensile tongue! they lay in the stream bed with their jaws open and flick their long whip like tongue to attract fish...the fish goes for the tongue and the turtle has fish for dinner!! lol. ain't nature great?

Just glad we dont have em here ,though there was a story in the papers a while back about one in a pond somewhere taking all the baby ducks! Lets hope it doesnt find a mate!

this one may have been on the move for just that reason..but it's living along a swampy creek bottom in the middle of nowhere...(well there is a farm on one side and a house up the road) but to all intents and purposes this fellow is king of the marsh...and nobody's argueing! lol...
yes they are excellent predators..and your baby ducks are an example of a turtle out of place.... he needs to be relocated to a more secluded/wilder spot ...if such can be found.

Yes I agree Florida maybe!