Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I work at a camp in Pennsylvania called Camp Green Lane. I work there as the nature specialist. Anyway, two summers ago I found this big 68 lb. Common Snapping Turtle. I did several things with it such as "the nose test" and it never tried to bite, hiss, or anything. I caught the same one (he has a large scar on part of his face hence his name we gave him, Scarface) and he was still tame. I was wondering what explanation there could be aside from him have being formerly owned and handled by a person? Any ideas? Id really like to know because its been bugging me quite a lot.

Maybe he is waiting for something a bit smaller to take a bite out of... My snapper will shy away from anything she can't handle, like my hand... but destroy anything she can tear apart
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Coastal Carpet Python 0.1 (Lillith)
Albino Burm 0.1 (Kimba RIP 10/23/04)
Columbian RedTail 0.1 (Squishy)
Kenyan Sand Boa 1.0 (Shai'hulud)
Brown Water Snake 0.1 (Fang)
Common Snapping Turtle 1.1 (Sherman and Tiger)
(RIP Abrahms)
RES 1.0 (speedy)

That, or it knows that weighing 68 pounds pretty much rules out you doing any harm to it via the nose test.
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It is in my experience, almost 15 years, of studying wild snappers that the larger they are, the less likely they are to strike out and "tilt" (when they raise their hind end up) when captured. I have approached large individuals basking on sand bars and they did not do much beside blink at me.

As has been mentioned, snappers at this size have no natural enemies besides man and pollution. This snapper is probably used to being captured a few times a summer, gawked at, and released. I know you're looking for an alternate reason, but there probably isn't one.

Actually things may be quite simple. Alot of people want to think that humans are the only animal that have personality, but that can't be further from the truth. I know that some of the people that post on here may disagree with me, but I'm speaking from personal experience. Every animal is different. While snappers in general get a bad rap for being moody and cranky, I have seen just as many docile snappers as moody ones...and it doesn't really have much to do with size. I have one wild caught snapper that is about the size of an orange, and she has never attempted to bite me...even though she would be potential prey size for a predator. Humans always try to find a scientific explanation when something doesn't quite fit it's stereotypical image...but sometimes the answer is so simple. I know that this probably isn't the answer that you were looking for, but this is coming from a turtle-person's point of view. ~Christy

I agree with you Christy.

I found my snapper(the one missing her two front legs) with a much smaller, perfectly healthy snapper. My girl was and always has been very calm and sweet but this little guy was mean and agressive. He was let go because he was in good health but wow he was mean for a little thing. Hissed, snapped constantly, and attacked a book of matches.

I think each turtle has its own personality and each animal for that matter. I have amazing personality stories about various odd pets that I've had that most people don't believe. But animals are like that. They always surprise you.