Good Turtle Karma

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Once i came across a 6" painted turtle in the road. There was no body of water around, and the location was not 'turtle friendly'. I just put it right in my saddlebag and buckled it up. When I passed a pond a few miles later, I saw other painted turtles sunning themselves so I let the little feller loose into the water and he swam away.

[Pax]

I've never seen a turtle in the road around here, mostly I see suicidal squirrels and bunnies on my commute...and the occasional GINORMOUS crow munching on the aforementioned suicidal squirrels and bunnies.

[SlowButSteady]

A round of applause for the reptile friendly! And good picture Bleecher St.

I'm also a long time catcher of turtles and snakes. I'll even help out the venomous snakes.

The last snapper I rescued had been straddled by a car. The turtle was so tall that the undercarriage of the car scraped some of the carapace scales off. Needless to say, it was one po'd turtle.

I threw him in the back of my Honda Element and went on about my business. When he started to come over the back seats at me, I scrounged a box from a pal. I took him back to my office for some topical treatment (I'm a vet) before releasing him.

Oh, yeah, I weighed him: 24 lbs.

People, if you've never handled snapping turtles, be careful! You're not going to be bitten on your hand if you're quick in grabbing the tail, but they can strike as quickly as a snake (and are twice as ill-tempered) so hold them as far away from your body as possible. It is somewhat difficult to hold a >20lbs turtle at armslength for more than a short time.

They are quite capable of taking off fingers or parts of your hand.

The tail technique also works well for oppossums. Sometimes you have to shake them a little bit to keep them from climbing back up their own tail to bite you. And they stink waaay worse than turtles.

[SalsaMTB]

I've only come across 1 turtle on a road ride. It was a snapper and not too pleased with my help, but with a little patience, I was able to move the little fellow.

On the trail, I've moved several.

[SouthernBelle]

How far around can a snapper reach to bite you?

[Pax]

How far around can a snapper reach to bite you?

To add to that question...how do you know if it's a snapper??

[Zen]

See page 1.

Snappers have parrot- like beaks.
And bad tempers.

[Andrea]

A round of applause for the reptile friendly! And good picture Bleecher St.

I'm also a long time catcher of turtles and snakes. I'll even help out the venomous snakes.

The last snapper I rescued had been straddled by a car. The turtle was so tall that the undercarriage of the car scraped some of the carapace scales off. Needless to say, it was one po'd turtle.

I threw him in the back of my Honda Element and went on about my business. When he started to come over the back seats at me, I scrounged a box from a pal. I took him back to my office for some topical treatment (I'm a vet) before releasing him.

Oh, yeah, I weighed him: 24 lbs.

People, if you've never handled snapping turtles, be careful! You're not going to be bitten on your hand if you're quick in grabbing the tail, but they can strike as quickly as a snake (and are twice as ill-tempered) so hold them as far away from your body as possible. It is somewhat difficult to hold a >20lbs turtle at armslength for more than a short time.

They are quite capable of taking off fingers or parts of your hand.

The tail technique also works well for oppossums. Sometimes you have to shake them a little bit to keep them from climbing back up their own tail to bite you. And they stink waaay worse than turtles.

My grampa (who died many years ago) had part of one of his fingers bitten off my a snapping turtle! At least, that was the story he told all of us grandkids when we'd ask where the rest of his finger was

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

snapping turtles are rather prehistoric looking:

http://www.cortland.edu/herp/keys/im...s/cserpelg.jpg

http://pelotes.jea.com/AnimalFact/Reptile/snapturt.jpg

but the babies are pretty cute:
http://www.boingboing.net/BabySnappers.jpg

Snappers on the road will try to spin around to face you when you threaten them. They can turn pretty fast, but not that fast. They do have long necks, can reach out and bite very quickly, and can reach your hand if it's maybe halfway between their front and their tail, but they cannot reach all the way around to bite your hand if you're holding them by the tail. It's not really that hard to be quick about getting behind them and grabbing the base of their tail. just keep your hand well away from the front half of them. Then you can drag them off the road if they are really heavy. Smaller ones can be carried by the base of their tails.

[Pax]

snapping turtles are rather prehistoric looking:

http://www.cortland.edu/herp/keys/im...s/cserpelg.jpg

http://pelotes.jea.com/AnimalFact/Reptile/snapturt.jpg

but the babies are pretty cute:
http://www.boingboing.net/BabySnappers.jpg

Snappers on the road will try to spin around to face you when you threaten them. They can turn pretty fast, but not that fast. They do have long necks, can reach out and bite very quickly, and can reach your hand if it's maybe halfway between their front and their tail, but they cannot reach all the way around to bite your hand if you're holding them by the tail. It's not really that hard to be quick about getting behind them and grabbing the base of their tail. just keep your hand well away from the front half of them. Then you can drag them off the road if they are really heavy. Smaller ones can be carried by the base of their tails.

Ooh, thanks for the info and pics, I'll have to check out the turtles to see what kind they are at the State park next time I go kayaking!

[Zen]

Very prehistoric looking , indeed.
The word I thought of was primordial.

I came across this girl while she was burying her eggs.


Notice I'm standing behind her

This one was taken with a long lens