We have a pile of gravel that we use to fill holes in driveway. About a foot down look what was found. There is no denying these are Snapping Turtles, their distinctive shape is clear.
We have a pile of gravel that we use to fill holes in driveway. About a foot down look what was found. There is no denying these are Snapping Turtles, their distinctive shape is clear.
Are those the kind of turtles that lives for a million years and can snap you in half given the chance?
I know they can live a 100 years or so. When they get large they can do serious damage as in snapping off an arm or leg, even little if they bit you it would be nasty.
Josie, only when raised in FL or TX. 😉 I don’t think the MI snappers get as large as what we see. However, it is sad news for the baby ducklings that swim in the pond.
4th picture down: Looks rather cranky. Then I thought, it reminded me of me!
I think the 6th picture is more like you Carole! 😀
~ducking~
Some of the snappers that have come out of our pond to lay eggs were bigger then my arm span.
That is scary!
I was diving in Michigan in a farmer’s retaining pond and came across a snapper about 3 feet long, certainly big enough to do some serious damage. Never know what lies beneath the surface, it is a very different world.
I never realized they burried their eggs that deep. Ahh the wonders of nature.
Julie my nieces stopped over with a couple of their friends today, 4 and 6 yrs old, and Al showed them this, they were amazed, and how cool to see that happen.
This is so interesting. Jack and I get calls quite often in the spring when the female Snappers come out of the ponds to lay eggs. Despite the many times we have moved and helped these critters we have NEVER seen any eggs hatch.
I have to say Snapping Turtles aren’t my favorite creatures. I have seen them take too many cignets from the lake behind our house. I actually saw a cignet being pulled under by a snapper last year. The father was going crazy stomping on the snapper’s head. Eventually the snapper let go and the cignet got a way but had a terrible limp for a couple of weeks. After that it was always the slowest to swim or walk and eventually disappeared. The remaining six cignets made it to the point when they leave their parents. That was the first year we were able to watch so many grow up together. Usually they have 5-7 cignets but if any, its only one or two that actually make it.
Go Daddy swan! I am surprised that he won that battle… those Snappers are so tenacious and nasty. Although they are just trying to live their live the only way they are equipped to do so. At those huge sizes they can grow to, they start do become a threat to much larger animals.