DAILY NEWS TRIBUNE (Waltham, Massachusetts) 30 August 05 River dweller slow afoot, but quick-minded (Dan Atkinson)

Watertown: He lurks beneath the lily pads of the Charles River, a prehistoric relic who looks like he swam away from a "Jurassic Park" sequel. He eats fish, frogs and the occasional duck, but is partial to bread and hamburger meat as well.

The turtle frequents the overlooks along the Charles past the Department of Conservation and Recreation pool. Of all the wildlife on the Charles River Path, the turtle is one of the main attractions, according to Watertown resident and river walker Harry Friedman.

"A lot of people know the turtle," he said. "He's awe-inspiring."

The turtle's shell is at least 15 inches long, estimated river walker and photographer Carole Berney, who has taken many pictures of the turtle over the years. Snapping turtles can grow to be 18 inches long, and the state record for a snapper's weight is 70 pounds, according to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Many people feed the turtle on their lunch breaks, Friedman said, and the turtle has come to look forward to his dietary supplements.

"I've noticed what looked like begging behavior," he said. "But turtles are subtle, so it's difficult to tell."

For river walker Lynn Bratley, there's no question; the monarch of the river is a shameless beggar.

"I had my suspicions confirmed when a couple (of) fellows were throwing hamburger meat to him," Bratley said. "If you look over the side, the turtle will come up and stare you down. It's suspicious, like a learned behavior."

Cheryl Jacobsen, of the MSPCA, said residents should not feed turtles food that isn't a normal part of their diet, as it might be dangerous to their health.

However, Bratley thought the snapper could probably handle the people food.

"In terms of the universe, it's probably harmless," she said.

The titanic turtle is not the only snapper in the river. Friedman has noticed a smaller snapper tagging along, and Bratley has other snapping turtles as well.

Female turtles often lay their eggs in the area by the bike paths, but prefer people's yards, Berney said. She has seen a snapper scale a fence to get into a Pleasant Street resident's yard, and a neighbor of hers has had to deal with unwelcome turtles in his cucumber patch.

Despite their intrusive nesting habits, the turtles usually stay away from humans. Jacobsen said she has never gotten a call from a resident pestered by a turtle, even though they're in "virtually every body of water" in the state. Friedman said the snappers get a bad rap, like pit bulls, because of their appearance, but their demeanor is friendly.

"To an observer, snappers have a terrifying appearance, but they seem very shy and gentle," Friedman said. "It's not really fair...animals act quite different than they look."

The Watertown TAB, a Community Newspaper Company paper, is looking for submissions to name the turtle. Call the TAB's Speak Out line at 781-433-8399 or send an e-mail to watertown@cnc.com with your suggestions. The TAB will pick one and announce the winner in the coming weeks.
River dweller slow afoot, but quick-minded

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• MA Press: River dweller slow afoot, but quick-minded - W von Papineäu, Wed Aug 31 21:44:58 2005