Turtle Thread

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bikehikeskifish

Well-known member
VFTT Supporter
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
6,099
Reaction score
553
Location
New Hampshire
OK, we've got berries and birds and flowers. Why not a turtle thread? Presumably this is your basic snapping turtle. I'm mainly interested in what this tentacle thing is that appears between the neck and the upper carapace. It came out and wiggled around a bit, while the rest of the animal remained still.

Anyone?



Click on the photo to jump to the album to see more photos.

Tim
 
Awesome shots!

Don't get much closer, though! It's amazing how far that head will snap out. If you ever have to move one, pick it up by the tail and hold it at arms length!

This tentacle has to be parasitic. Giant leech, I'd say. Cool!

It's kind of late for her to be out laying eggs. Wonder what she's up to. Amazing that something that starts out the size of a quarter grows to that size. I'm guessing yours is 30-35 lbs.

babysnap.jpg


Just hatched. Note the beak just under the nostrils for breaking through the shell.

KDT
 
Last edited:
I stayed 3+ feet away and used the zoom ;) Once we got close, s/he laid down and mostly tucked in, and just looked at us. After we took pictures and left, she got up and walked away. Yes, the head stuck out quite a ways while walking.

Matthew found her/him... very excited.

Tim
 
Head

OK, if the head stuck out another say, 6 inches while she walked away, figure another 6-10 if she wants to snap. Yes, close to the length of her body. Scary. And no, they don't let go. The kids must have been astounded.

KDT
 
Reading this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapping_Turtle says not to lift them by the tail.

It is a common misconception that Common snappers may be safely picked up by its tail, with no harm to the animal; in fact, this has a high chance of injuring the turtle, especially the tail itself and the vertebral column.[citation needed] A handler must also be wary of injury; these turtles are aptly named, as they can snap with amazing speed and power - a large adult snapper can easily bite off a finger or toe. If moving it is absolutely necessary, scooping and lifting the turtle just off the ground with a shovel (especially a snow shovel), if done quickly, may be safest and easiest for all concerned parties.

Lifting the turtle with the hands is difficult and dangerous. Some snappers can -- and will -- stretch their necks halfway back across their own carapace to bite. Manual lifting (which should be done only if no other options are available) is best accomplished by sliding fingers behind the turtle's hind legs, with the tail between the hands, and gripping the turtle between the fingers and thumbs. The handler then proceeds to lift the turtle only just off the ground. The turtle will probably squirm and try to dislodge the handler's hands with its hind legs. Even a small snapper is relatively powerful for its size, with long sharp claws; further, due to their aquatic inclinations, these turtles are often slimy and wet, and they are good at causing prospective handlers to lose their grip. In any case that a snapping turtle must be handled, it is best to have the turtle on the ground or very close. Wild turtles may be covered with a smelly pond slime and may also defecate, urinate, or musk on a handler.

For some reason earlier I only found a stub article. Searching now (now that the kids are sleeping of course) I found the above under "Common snapping turtle".

Tim
 
It was a bad spring for turtle mortality on the roads. It is scary how many
people won't stop, like on the north/south road in Conway. Most painted there. I have only dealt with one snapper on the roads recently, and took a stick and shoved it along with a stick. I wasn't about to pick it up by its tail.
 
I love the pictures!! I was told, maybe it's wrong, to let a snapper bite on a long stick (because they won't let go) and then lead them across the road or whatever if they need to be moved (always moving them in the direction they are already heading).
 
"Tentacle" theory...

bikehikeskifish said:
I'm mainly interested in what this tentacle thing is that appears between the neck and the upper carapace. It came out and wiggled around a bit, while the rest of the animal remained still.

I think that would be what we lovingly call a 'passenger'. Mr. Turtle probably had picked up a leech, and you were seeing it in all its wiggling, leechy glory.

I've rescued a few painted turtles and snappers from busy roads over the past couple years, and in one case, I (carefully) used a stick to pop off a leech in almost exactly the same configuration as you see here...

Nice shot!
 
Moving snappers, etc....

Now that I've read that wikipedia entry it occurs to me that I have moved them by picking them up by the hind leg hollows as well. This is probably the best way, though I've moved them by the tail, which upon rethinking is probably not the best way.

I move one yearly at work. Apparently our building was built where she has laid her eggs for years. After laying she often becomes confused and heads for the road. We have to watch for the eggs to hatch and grab them as soon as they do. Unfortunately they hatch into a busy parking lot and we lose many upon hatching. I try to collect them all and get them to the river ASAP, but I'm not always there when it occurs. :( Since recent contstruction mama has chosen better places to lay.

"This tentacle has to be parasitic. Giant leech, I'd say. Cool!"

"I think that would be what we lovingly call a 'passenger'. Mr. Turtle probably had picked up a leech, and you were seeing it in all its wiggling, leechy glory."

OK, that's 2 for leech, huh Drew? :)

This may be why she was out and about. Trying to "off" that leech!

KDT
 
All turtles have peaks, the baby snapper has its "tooth" still and that is used to break out the shell. Other types of reptiles and birds have similiar "tooths". I currently have some box turtle eggs in the yard and have them some what protected.

If my memory is still working New England has 10 species of turtles and all but three (musk, eastern painted and snapper) are either endangered or threatened.
 
Yes, I believe that tentacle thing on its shell is a leech. I saw a snapping turtle over here in Jersey last week while hiking to Boulder Pine Peak and it had a leech stuck on the back of its shell.
 
Top