This is a Common Snapping Turtle. Every year at this time we see them crawling through the nursery looking for a place to lay eggs, or looking for a new territory. This one was doing just that last week, and was about 18" from nose to tail, but was small compared to others we have seen. We have one living in our irrigation pond, whose moss covered carapace is every bit of 20", and is too big to ever get over the sides of the bulk-headed pond. It lives on a diet of gold fish. This has been their world for millenia, but I know that we and the new neighborhood next door are making their lives difficult.
This is a Common Snapping Turtle. Every year at this time we see them crawling through the nursery looking for a place to lay eggs, or looking for a new territory. This one was doing just that last week, and was about 18" from nose to tail, but was small compared to others we have seen. We have one living in our irrigation pond, whose moss covered carapace is every bit of 20", and is too big to ever get over the sides of the bulk-headed pond. It lives on a diet of gold fish. This has been their world for millenia, but I know that we and the new neighborhood next door are making their lives difficult.
That look in their eye is so sad. Looks like he or she is saying---please just let me live peacefully.
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