Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This may not sound like much to everyone here, but to me it was awesome. I don't personally keep any kind of turtle and the only snapper I've ever seen in person was a baby ( couple inches long ).

Me and my husband were driving home on a rather busy 2 lane highway (55 mph speed limit)and he swerves all of a sudden and yelled turtle. He pulled off to the side and we ran back up to where the turtle was. As soon as I saw the tail I new it was a snapper and it was sitting right on the double yellow lines. It's shell was a little over a foot maybe fifteen inches from head to tail. I'ts tail was probably another six to eight inches. In my book this was a large turtle. I didn't even hesitate I walked right up behind it. Not knowing how to pick it up without getting bit ( I know they have a long neck) I gambled on grabbing it by the shell above the back legs. If this is wrong I apologize, but it tried to bite me and couldn't reach so I figured I was sort of safe. He was heavy. My husband stopped traffic and I carried him about twenty feet off the road and put him down in the grass.

They are doing construction on this road and thats probably what made him cross it because I have never seen one on the road before. As I said if I did anything wrong I apologize I just couldn't let him gat hit by a car.
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Thanks Dawn
1.1 Veiled (Moe and Isis)
0.1 Helmeted Iguana (Louie)
0.2 Southern Toads (Tiny and Bubba)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Joker)
3.1 Cats (Buffy, Spike, London, and Lilly)

Good job in moving the big guy. Snapping turtles are known to travel long distances from one water source to another. This time of year, females are looking for suitable nesting spots, and males are looking for females, and both will travel far and wide to find what they need.

If pond or lake becomes overpopulated with turtles, snappers will move. If it becomes polluted, they will move. If food is scarce, they will move. Who knows the story of the turtle you found, but know that it will soon find a new place to call home.

~Mike~

nice job, its always a thrill to rescue an animal in need like that. actually the way you picked it up is perfectly fine ...im impressed, especially when a wild snapper is snapping everywhere and you havent dealt with turtles much, but decide to pick it up! congradulations

you did GREAT!
if that was your first time laying hands on a snapper, then you have nerves of steel. touching a snapper at all out of water can be very unnerving if you are unfamiliar with its behavior and abilities.
first and foremost, you have done a good thing, and you should be proud!