huge turtle in the yard

[MOPARHOUND!]

I bet that old boy has been around longer than most of us.

At the risk of boring y'all:

Physical Characteristics
The Alligator Snapping Turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in the world. These turtles can measure from 15 inches to over 30 inches in length. Their weight upon maturity can range from 35 to over 200 pounds. Males are typically larger than females. The tail on this turtle can be as long as its shell. The large shell is rough and three-keeled, meaning it has 3 pronounced ridges running from front to back. It has a large head with a hooked "beak" and very powerful jaws. The eyes are on the sides of their heads unlike the Common Snapping Turtle whose eyes are situated on the top of their heads. These turtles can be gray, brown, or black in color.

Range
This gigantic turtle can be found from Southern Georgia to Northern Florida, west to Central Texas and up to the north in Southwest Indiana, Illinois, Kansas and the Mississippi Valley.

Habitat
These turtles enjoy the deep waters of larger rivers, lakes, swamps, bayous and canals. They can be found along the banks of these waterways, but they spend most of their time submerged under water concealed in the mud floor.

Diet
An omnivore, this snapping turtle usually forages for food at night. They will eat almost anything. Their favorite food is fish, but they will eat snakes, frogs, clams, carrion, other turtles and aquatic vegetation.

Reproduction
These turtles lay anywhere from 9 to 52 eggs in a single clutch. These eggs are 1.25 - 2 inches in diameter. Alligator Snapping Turtles mate in the Spring and a nest made up of mostly sand is built about 2 months later. The eggs incubate between 100 - 140 days. Only one clutch is produced by females each year. Temperature determines the sex of the offspring -- high and low temperatures yield more females and moderate temperatures yield more males. Sexual maturity is reached between 11 and 13 years of age.

Life Span
Alligator Snapping Turtles have lived up to 70 years in captivity. The life span of this species in the wild is not known.

[Blusmbl]

That's a big, mean lookin' turtle!   We don't get any cool creatures like that around here.  I did find a litter of kittens in a work vehicle though, and had to take all of them to the shelter when their mother was found deadon the side of the road in my industrial complex... 

[dart3404]

It was a regular snapper not an alligator snapper. The shell was smooth and it didn't have the point that the alligator snappers have on their mouth when they open up. Regular Snappers can get to 60 to 70 lb and live up to 70 years also.

I wasn't about to try to pick this guy up without the shovel. 
It was cute. My guess is it was a female looking to lay her eggs. June and July are when they go and find a place to do that, or she was lost after she layed them and was trying to find her way home. Its all good, she got home safe... 

[REDNECK]

i still woulda shot em. thay can Cose damage to septic ponds and thay kill all the fish in a small pond to

[Old Moparz]

 

[Rack]

i still woulda shot em. thay can Cose damage to septic ponds and thay kill all the fish in a small pond to

That's the intelligent way to solve a problem... shoot it.


Bastard cut me off! Shoot him!

ATM machine says I don't have any money! Shoot it!

Stubbed my toe on the coffee table leg. Shoot it!

My gf is being a nag. Shoot her!

Jethro won't qwit hittin' on ma sister! Shoot him!

A turtle is in my pond. Shoot it!

[AKcharger]

Rack, I don't think it's intellegent to shoot an ATM or a coffie table, in fact seems kind of wacky to me...also the ATM shooting thing is against the law, hmmm so is the girlfriend thing!

[dart3404]

i still woulda shot em. thay can Cose damage to septic ponds and thay kill all the fish in a small pond to

They have to eat too.

[Drache]

i still woulda shot em. thay can Cose damage to septic ponds and thay kill all the fish in a small pond to

They have to eat too.

That bloody turtle is older than anyone on this message board! I think that old guy has the right to eat whatever he wants as long as it's not part of a charger!

[CaptMarvel]

Like I said, I'm a longtime turtle nerd. I kind of agree with Redneck though. They can be a real problem. A baby snapper just about took my dad's finger off when he was eight growing up in southern missouri back in the 40's. Shoot them! then mix up a kettle of some nice turtle bisque...yum! (I like turltes on several levels)

[4402tuff4u]

Like I said, I'm a longtime turtle nerd. I kind of agree with Redneck though. They can be a real problem. A baby snapper just about took my dad's finger off when he was eight growing up in southern missouri back in the 40's. Shoot them! then mix up a kettle of some nice turtle bisque...yum! (I like turltes on several levels)

No problem shooting them if you are going to consume them, but just to shoot them because they eat other species is a bit senseless. If that is the case, with that rationale, you better start shooting alot of living things in this earth!

[REDNECK]

thare fun to shoot

[Johnny SixPack]

thare fun to shoot

[Lowprofile]

thare fun to shoot

Shame on You.

Wether you like it or not, that Turtle is part of the Eco-system & has every right to pass thru your yard, pond, etc...  Besides, its one of Gods creatures.

Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.  

[REDNECK]

one bit me once so i theink i have the right to shootem if you have a problem hears  a pic for you 

[Lowprofile]

I guess its a good thing for you that Turtles can't shoot back. 

schmuck

[Johnny SixPack]

one bit me once so i theink i have the right to shootem if you have a problem hears  a pic for you 

So by that thinking, since I was once bit by my little sister, I should have the right to shoot her?

Or maybe all little sisters everywhere?

Sweet revenge is finally mine!

Muwhahahah! 

[moparguy01]

one bit me once so i theink i have the right to shootem if you have a problem hears  a pic for you 

So by that thinking, since I was once bit by my little sister, I should have the right to shoot her?

Or maybe all little sisters everywhere?

Sweet revenge is finally mine!

Muwhahahah! 

No really, a moose once bit my sister..........

[Johnny SixPack]

one bit me once so i theink i have the right to shootem if you have a problem hears  a pic for you 

So by that thinking, since I was once bit by my little sister, I should have the right to shoot her?

Or maybe all little sisters everywhere?

Sweet revenge is finally mine!

Muwhahahah! 

No really, a moose once bit my sister..........

Kill 'em all!

By God it's your right! 

[REDNECK]

im not trying to hijack this thread but, lowprofile whats up did i ever once insult you so why insult me im just havin fun. now back to the orignal thread.  

[Rack]

one bit me once so i theink i have the right to shootem if you have a problem hears  a pic for you 

Dang, poor turtle must have missed his mark.


By the way, a redneck once hit me (when I was 8 no less), should that give me the right to shoot all rednecks now?

Finally the sheep of america can walk the farms without fear!


J/K 

[Todd Wilson]

I had turtle this morning!   

And then I sat down and read the auto shopper and all was well!



Todd

[REDNECK]

one bit me once so i theink i have the right to shootem if you have a problem hears  a pic for you 

Dang, poor turtle must have missed his mark.


By the way, a redneck once hit me (when I was 8 no less), should that give me the right to shoot all rednecks now?

Finally the sheep of america can walk the farms without fear!


J/K

if they doint shoot first

[Rack]

one bit me once so i theink i have the right to shootem if you have a problem hears  a pic for you 

Dang, poor turtle must have missed his mark.


By the way, a redneck once hit me (when I was 8 no less), should that give me the right to shoot all rednecks now?

Finally the sheep of america can walk the farms without fear!


J/K

if they doint shoot first

I'm pretty trigger happy so I doubt they'd shoot first. 

[TheGhost]

i still woulda shot em. thay can Cose damage to septic ponds and thay kill all the fish in a small pond to

My my, aren't we the tolerant one?


Tell me, if you were lost, looking for your home, would you want to just be shot, because you MIGHT cause some minor damage?


Moron.