Any Turtle experts here? ID this guy for me and tell me what to do with him.

Msigler

Msigler

Member
This morning when I let my dog out I noticed he spotted something in the back yard.
He was jumping around and sniffing something so I went to investigate. I noticed a small turtle and it looks different than any turtle I have ever seen. I hopped on the net to check it out and it looks like the Alligator snapping turtle more than the common snapping turtle. The first pic is an alligator snapper and the second is the one I found in the back yard. Also I found it weird because I thought these guys were endangered and lived in lakes and ponds. I was thinking about taking him to the lake but not sure if I am aloud to do that. What should I do with the little guy?

220px-Baby_alligator_turtle.jpg

new-turtle.jpg
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

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Looks like just your common Snapper. Watch out because it's got a very powerful bite and tends to rip & pull it's meaty meal apart. I've raised a few of them over the years and they can get pretty big. They are usually in and close to water usually still/calm ponds and lakes. They can also be in streams and rivers.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

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Here's a pic I found of one that you might use to help ID it

snapping_turtle1.jpg



How would you like to run into this one
snapturtle.jpg


Here's some good info on them
Common snapping turtle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Common snappers are noted for their belligerent disposition when out of the water, their powerful beak-like jaws, and their highly mobile head and neck (hence the specific name "serpentina", meaning "snake-like"). In some areas they are hunted very heavily for their meat, a popular ingredient in turtle soup. These turtles have lived for up to 47 years in captivity, while the lifespan of wild individuals is estimated to be around 30 years.
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Msigler

Msigler

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Thanks for the reply. If I ran into that second one in your pic I would turn and go the other way in hurry.
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

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Be careful - they have a long neck too, and can reach around and chomp on you. And they don't let go easily. I once came across one about as big as the one in Big Al's picture - on the way back to the car at night, after fishing. It was camped out right by my car door - I decided to go in the opposite side of the car! The common ones are pretty common and get pretty big. We had a really big one walking across the parking lot at work a few years ago - the maintenance guys took it to a nearby lake & let it go.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

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Yeah they can reach further than you'd ever think when they are P-O'd. Usually if you see one out of water it's pretty P-O'd already so it's best to give them space.

I raised one from a baby (the size of a quarter) and had him ( I think it was him..) "Snappy" (original huh?) for about 2 years. When I released him back into the lake he was just larger than the size of a softball. When it got to where he would easily and consistently snap a large "Lumber Pencil" in two in one quick snap I decided "Snappy" was destined for a BIGGER tank... Lake Junaluska. Actually the wife decided it was time because he got to where he learned how to "Escape" on a daily basis and she would come home and "Snappy" would greet her at the door :LOL:.

When I found him I think something had attacked him right after birth (when the shell is still soft) because he had a large section missing from the back of his shell (where the jagged projections are) so he was easy to identify. We saw him the following spring up on the lake bed right where the river empties into the lake but never saw him again after that. Was a COOL pet for sure but looking back I could have lost a finger LOL
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

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I had a little pet one once too - about the size of a quarter. Mine was named Snappy too LOL! I didn't keep mine that long though - maybe a couple months before I took him fishing with me and gave him his freedom back.
 
Msigler

Msigler

Member
That's cool Al. She wants to keep him and she went to get a tank and all the gear to go with it. I used large grill tongs to catch him lol. I am just puzzled on how he got in the backyard. There is a state park with a lake about 10 minutes (in a car) away. There is a mountain a little ways behind my house and it looked like he was coming from that direction so I don't know. I'll post a couple pictures later when she get's home with his temporay habitat. I guess I'll keep him until he outgrows whatever size aquarium Robin comes home with. lol
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

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They'll go a long way this time of year - looking to relocate or possibly lay eggs if they're old enough. The large one in my work parking lot was about 1/4 mile from water, and it would have had to cross 2 embankments and a few sets of railroad tracks to get where it was found. My son once had a couple box turtles in a little fenced in area in the woods and they would escape - we spotted them actually climbing up & over the short 2 foot fence to get out!
 
PSU4ME

PSU4ME

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I once (while in Canada) was trying to catch frogs to go fishing.......i was standing on a "log" while doing this and then a tail swung up in the air.....so i grabbed it and tried to pull one of these snappers out of the water......well 2 buddies later i got it back to the camper - what a beast. Didn't fit in a 55 gallon drum.......we spray painted "95" on it's back and put it back in the water.

I buy my frogs now!
 
QuentinB

QuentinB

Member
DSCN0945.jpg


This is a (dorky) pic of me setting a snapper free just a couple weeks ago. She'd been found on the road, so we let her go back along a river.

And yeah, you can definitely keep them as a pet. If you've got a strong stomach, google "snapping turtle eating mouse GIF", that's the first thing that came to mind when I saw your pic. It's a bit more graphic than I feel I should post on here, otherwise I would've.

Have fun!
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

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PSU4ME - after that experience I think I'd be back to buying frogs too!

Quentin - that snapper doesn't look happy at all! Nice of you to get it off the road. Also nice that you didn't post the link to the snapper eating mouse video. :)
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

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Nice pics of Snappy III in the new home. That last one really shows the long neck! I wonder how long the goldfish will last.
 
Msigler

Msigler

Member
BigAl07 said:
Yes it does!!


Love how yall are all laid out chilling running down the water like that. Pretty dog.. surprised he/she wasn't jumping IN the water yet :)
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Yea. That raft and trolling motor is the best money I've spent in a while. Compact boat I can take anywhere, folds up to the size of a suitcase and its very rugged. It's like lounging in a recliner on the water. And Oliver jumps in the water every chance he gets. Especially when he gets hot.
 
Msigler

Msigler

Member
Terry, I assumed he would gobble those goldfish up but he hasn't even looked at them. Three goldfish and three snails for a snack.
 
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