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Pics below....
Today the family was fishing in a large pond off the Huron river and ran into a nasty endemic to North America: a Common Snapping Turtle. This one was about 10 lbs, which is at the small end of the scale for adults as they can reach 75 lbs. They can live a very long life - often up to 70 years. The old ones can have a head the size of a medium sized dog and do a lot more damage.
We "obtained" this guy when he took a fishing line, then in anger decided to bite a branch floating in the pond. We dragged him in, removed the hook (with a great deal of caution), took the pics and sent him on his way with the stick still firmly in his grip. He was obviously still in a nasty mood as he immediately released the first stick then bit another one that was even larger in diameter. Apparently its "crime" was floating too close to the mouth of a snapping turtle
Luckily for him we weren't in the mood for turtle soup as snappers make a good one; lots of meat.
Aggressive behavior is their nature and they'll bite almost anything that moves, animate or inanimate, and are very reluctant to let go. Quite a few have latched onto human extremities and the only way to remove them was to decapitate the turtle then cut the jaw muscles. Seen it done many times in our ER over the years.
Sometimes letting go isn't the issue as they are quite capable of removing fingers, toes and even the forearms of children or small adults. This makes caution and the use of tough wading boots in their waters a necessity, which some people just flat ignore. They live in shallow rivers, ponds, estuaries etc. They also show a preference for muddy waters and vegetation near shore.
Now for the bad news: there is a much larger version of these critters in North America - the Alligator Snapping Turtle. The largest Alligator Snapper ever reported weighed in at 403 lbs and was caught in Kansas in 1937. They are a bit less aggressive, but that doesn't mean much since 403 lbs of even mild snapper-style aggression is more than most people want to deal with
That said 175-200 lbs is more like it for Alligator Snappers.
Now for the pics....
And now for the pond where he lives. This is part of the Huron-Clinton Metropark system, which comprises 24,000 acres (97 km²) in a semicircle around the Detroit area and all within a short drive of us. Parkland, 45 miles (72 km) of hike/bike trails, picnic grounds, golf, disc golf, fishing, water parks, swimming pools, beaches etc. etc. and usable by anyone who can afford the $20/year membership and a reasonable use fee here and there (pools, golf, water parks). Most fees run <$10 USD
Today the family was fishing in a large pond off the Huron river and ran into a nasty endemic to North America: a Common Snapping Turtle. This one was about 10 lbs, which is at the small end of the scale for adults as they can reach 75 lbs. They can live a very long life - often up to 70 years. The old ones can have a head the size of a medium sized dog and do a lot more damage.
We "obtained" this guy when he took a fishing line, then in anger decided to bite a branch floating in the pond. We dragged him in, removed the hook (with a great deal of caution), took the pics and sent him on his way with the stick still firmly in his grip. He was obviously still in a nasty mood as he immediately released the first stick then bit another one that was even larger in diameter. Apparently its "crime" was floating too close to the mouth of a snapping turtle
Luckily for him we weren't in the mood for turtle soup as snappers make a good one; lots of meat.
Aggressive behavior is their nature and they'll bite almost anything that moves, animate or inanimate, and are very reluctant to let go. Quite a few have latched onto human extremities and the only way to remove them was to decapitate the turtle then cut the jaw muscles. Seen it done many times in our ER over the years.
Sometimes letting go isn't the issue as they are quite capable of removing fingers, toes and even the forearms of children or small adults. This makes caution and the use of tough wading boots in their waters a necessity, which some people just flat ignore. They live in shallow rivers, ponds, estuaries etc. They also show a preference for muddy waters and vegetation near shore.
Now for the bad news: there is a much larger version of these critters in North America - the Alligator Snapping Turtle. The largest Alligator Snapper ever reported weighed in at 403 lbs and was caught in Kansas in 1937. They are a bit less aggressive, but that doesn't mean much since 403 lbs of even mild snapper-style aggression is more than most people want to deal with
That said 175-200 lbs is more like it for Alligator Snappers.
Now for the pics....
And now for the pond where he lives. This is part of the Huron-Clinton Metropark system, which comprises 24,000 acres (97 km²) in a semicircle around the Detroit area and all within a short drive of us. Parkland, 45 miles (72 km) of hike/bike trails, picnic grounds, golf, disc golf, fishing, water parks, swimming pools, beaches etc. etc. and usable by anyone who can afford the $20/year membership and a reasonable use fee here and there (pools, golf, water parks). Most fees run <$10 USD
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