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 get 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)

Most likely, it was a she, as female snappers usually roam for quite a while in search of a nesting site. they often travel over a mile away from their home body of water before they dig a nest. It is one of the reasons snappers are so successful and widespread. Near water bodies where they live, it's not uncommon to see many of them crossing roads nearby, or digging nests in the right of way.

Interstingly, it's fairly rare to see a smashed up snapper in the road, while sliders and painted turtle shells litter the side of the road. Snappers don't climb to the road to bask--they CROSS the road, not lie in it.

Last year I picked one up and moved it to safety--not like it had to worry much--she was nearly 2 feet long, and was HOLDING UP traffic she was so big.

No problem moving them, just watch out, cause they CAN reach your hands if you grab them midway up the shell.

Eric

you've both got alot of guts...i catch them on fishing line all the time (everytime) and i would never touch one...i've seen some with heads the size of my fist...they are incredible animals and are very succesfull...a part of that is because they will eat anything...i've caught them on worms, corn, bread, killies and once with a rubber frog...moving them from the road is very kind of both of you, and brave

I once found a tiny baby turtle on the road, took it home and raised it. Didn't know a thing about turtles... the guy kept growing and growing, made a pond for him in the back yard. Got to about 2 feet long and one day he left. Only later I learned that I had been raising a snapping turtle! lol

thought you were gonna say "three fingers later i discovered i was raising a snapping turtle"