Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been reviewing this message board, in which I have seen a variety ways of people holding these snappers. My snapper is very aggressive, where I can only hold him if I can reach into his shell, right next to his head. I'm almost positive if I do it any other way I'm going to loose a digit (ie bad news).

Anyways, is there a correct way to hold a snapper, or is it just however you feel comfortable?

From your other post, it seems your turtle is small enough to grab around the carapace with one hand. Or, you can hold it from the back with 4 fingers under and thumb on top. Does your turtle constantly strike? It should calm down a bit with regular handling.

My female has an 11 inch carapace and I hold her with no problem with both hands on her sides. I also have a technique where i grasp the edge of the carapace and flip the turtle up so her carapace is resting against my forearm and hold her away from my body. In this position, she can't strike my arm. I hold wild turtles this way as well. If the turtle is too large and striking wildly, I sometimes place my hand on the plastron, grip the edge of the carapace and run like hell to the shore. And of course, NEVER pick up a snapper by the tail.

Invest in a good pair of leather work gloves. The rough, unfinished kind. Plan on them being destroyed after about 6 months or so, or at least not usable for anything other then turtle handling. Hold a common snapper's carapace at the midpoint, where the plastron and carapace meet to form the bridge. Hold on tight, because they are going to rake the living hell out of your hands - thus the leather gloves. Don't hold them by the tail and suspend them in the air for any length of time, but pulling them by their tail - i.e. if they crawl under something - is ok, as long as you aren't tugging hard or all their weight is born on the vertebrae. Alligator snappers can be lifted without gloves - just slide your hand up on the back of their carapace, towards their heads, and grip the edge. Even the huge ones can be held safely this way, as their necks aren't as agile as the common snapper's is.
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I've kept several common snappers of diferent sizes over the last 4 years. I currently have 2 florida commons, and one Ally. The floridas I got when they were just hatched, Ally too for that matter. I can hold the Commons in the palm of my hand, and they will go from hand to hand like a slinky. I can put my fingers right infront of there mouths and they wont bite. Now get them in the water, and its totally a get bit situation if I get to close. The Ally just opened his mouth at me for the first time in 8 months the other day. Turtles all have there own personalitys, some will bite, some wont.