Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Could someone deescribe to me exactly how the wading and grabbing them method is done. I know the fill with there feet and poles but when you find them how do you grab them knowing that you grab the correct end. I'm referring to common snappers. I want to catch just one gravid female so I can get some egg and when the hacth I'll get them started and release 1/4 to 1/2 of the offspring. I realy don't like to use hook and when I do I use those that rust up and detereriorate (spelling?) in about a week. and i am having no luck with turtle traps. They are to smart.
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Justin

Why do you want to do that?? If you do find a gravid female, and hatch and release the babies, chances are they will die a lot faster and possibly harm the rest of the animals where ever it is you release them, due to foreign viruses and pathogens etc.... Just let nature take it's course..

Matt

did u try swimming for them i do it all the time just get some gogals and swim on the surface looking down when u see one surface dive on top of him and grab him. but u really should not catch a gravid female just for eggs most likely she will not lay right do to stress and it could kill her.
CrazyCody

I think I gve the wrong impression. I am not just tryig to catch to hatch and release. I mainly want to just hatch some for myself. I will release them if I have over 10 which will most likely happen. The thing about them not laying is true, but, I have a great tutle pond that she will go in and she won't be held until she lays. It is very quit out there and has a deep spot and I have plenty of "safe" hide spots. i have done this before, but it was with a turtle i found on road. What kind of places do you actually swim for them in. The only places I can legally go in is beach area of lake(will find nothing of course) and small ponds. The ponds are not at all clear enough to see in and most have hooks and crap all in the m because of fishing. The only place I would realy like to do this is lakes or river necks. But it is illegal, and I have bad luck. Sure ennough as soon as i got in the water a game warden would pull up beside me in his boat and right us a ticket. There is one lake I can probably get away with it in, but I don't know. I would probably get a hook in me but won't be the first or last. for some reason i always give out a bad impression when starting a conversation on forums.
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Justin

oh and how exactly is it going to be a greater chance of them dieing if I hacth them and release? I know great places to release them. places that don't have many snappers. Places with a lot of dead trees and limbs and stuff fallen in the water.
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Justin

Wild snappers will do one of two things when approached in shallow water. They will either jet for deeper waters, or dig into the mud & leaves if present. If they jet, you're out of luck unless you intend to swim after them...which can be pretty exciting if you ask me.

If they dig, try to place your foot on top of the carapce. Usually, the turtle will raise its tail end up, and then you will be able to grab the hind end. At that point you take a risk of being bitten, but in my experience, the turtle is more concerned about holding fast in the muck, than about biting. Grab the edge of the carapace right above the back leg, and kind of push the turtle up and with your other hand, palm the plastron. Quickly get to land if the turtle is large because they are very strong. Once on land, the striking begins so watch out.

And of course, never hold a snapper by its tail. Good luck.

~Mike~

Thanx Mike, I have never ealy thought about them raising up their hind end. I knew they did it but never realy thought about using it to my advantage. Yes I know not to hold by the tail. I always grab the carapce and plastron if I can. Also with smaller ones I put the tail between my fingers and hold my thumb on the carapce and other fingers on plastron. Thanx again for the hint
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Justin

my recommendation if youd like to hatch a clutch of wild snappers would be to sit on the bank and scout nest sites, then harvest the clutch of eggs after they have been in the nest for a couple weeks. careful, dont turn the eggs. use as much of the surrounding substrate as you can, and incubate the eggs at the same temperature as the nest (this can be determined with a thermometer inserted into the exterior edge of the nest, at the same depth as the eggs before excavating.) i have done this successfully with several turtle species, red-eared, box, and snapper.
i wouldnt recommend trying to catch a gestating female in hopes of nesting her, as she will most likely re-absorb the eggs rather than lay them in an unfamiliar site.
general rules for catching snappers is very site-specific, but some general rules apply:
know the habits of local turtles, scout their locations/habits.
wade shallows (1-3 ft) barefoot, feeling for 'serrated'rocks.
if you live far enough south that there are alligator snappers, know that there they are grasped differently than commons, and learn the difference in the texture of the caripace.
know by feeling which end is the front!
a snapping turtle, common or alligator, is very docile while submerged, and will not snap (USUALLY) until you surface it.
grasp a common at the back edge of the caripace, just in front of the hind legs, and wade out backward, keeping the hind end elevated above the forend. once on land, BE CAREFUL
with an alligator snapper, determine front from back, and grasp strong hand at rear or caripace above tail, weak hand at front of caripace above head, and lift straight out of water. keep at least the turtles head out of the water as you wade out. if you do not lift an alligator snapper straight up, you will lose it.
it can grab scrub and fight away, and a big'un can swim hard enough to get away from you if you dont get it to the surface fast enough.
BE CAREFUL!!!
but remember, a common grasped at the hind legs cannot bite you, and an alligator grasped at the caripace directly overhead cannot bite you.
this will take a steady nerve, as both will snap AT you, once surfaced, but cannot actually get you, if grasped as described.
HAVE FUN AND BE CAREFUL! LIFE IS BETTER WITH ALL YOUR FINGERS!!

I think that first of all you have to dress the part before you go in the water (baseball hat, waders,button up shirt, and a long pole either a old mop or broomstick). You have to walk around and use your pole to tap on the ground and listen for a hollow thump. After that you can either use your net (oops forgot to mention that one) or a pair of gloved hands to hoist it up. and put it in a gunny sack. The trick here it to be careful because these things don't like to go into the sack!!! You don't have to worry to much about being bitten in the water because these things have one thing on their mind (getting away from you) but when you bring it above the surface of the water WATCH OUT! because this thing defiantly wants to snip you HARD!If you follow these simple ins ructions you WILL defiantly catch them...I always do...One more important thing knowing how to swim always helps also because if you get one of those old granddads ....well you never know!