snapping turtles and of course very un-scientific in the herp world maybe........some of you know that I live outside of Emporia Kansas in the eastern mid west of eastern central Kansas. We have had a LOT of rain compared to several years past when we were practically in semi to real drought conditions. Most rains are at night with not lasting all through the night. I live on a back road that takes its path to Emporia at about 12 miles away. So far this year I have witness to what may be a " bumper " crop of common snapping turtles of area compared to my 6 years of living here. I have counted in observation of that 12 mile road 31 various sized snappers on road of living and DORs. None have been really small juvies. I have stopped to move off road about 22 specimens so far. The creeks are not even flooding and some of these observed turtles are coming from not close proximity of water ponds, creeks and or our evaporation lagoons but of feilds......
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......