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Something you don't see everyday....

Wyvern Jul 13, 2008 05:53 PM

A common snapper successfully catching and killing an adult Canada Goose. I know snappers will go after baby ducks and geese - just didn't realize they could take down an adult Canada goose. I guesstimate his shell was a good 12-14 inches in length.

I didn't have the camera out in time for the actual attack when I heard the flock suddenly going nuts (originally thought a hawk or eagle had dived after one of them and got stuck in the mud when I saw a bird floundering), but did get some shots after the goose was dead and the snapping turtle was making some attempts at pulling the head from the body. You can see his head sticking up out of the water in some photos and in two photos you can see he has one of his front feet planted against the goose's shoulder while he was pulling on the goose's head/neck under the water... pulled hard enough a couple of times to lift his shell up out of the water.


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Replies (2)

mmfh Jul 13, 2008 11:47 PM

wow! that is so neat that u were able to get pictures. Bet that turtle is going to feast for a while.

futureboabreeder May 10, 2009 04:24 AM

hahaha, those commons are such scavangers. There was one at this lake called east branch that ate ducks LIVE... well, I presume it was a common snapper, because it was far out and always by this little island towards the middle of the lake- could see a huge traingular figure popping up after the ducks were dead, then it would go down and you see the ducks carcas slowly jerking back and forth (made me imagine like how turtles tear at their prey with their claws).

Couldn't have been an ATS right? Because they barely come to the surface. And with their little necks and the whole bottom feeding I just can't imagine it being an ATS.

How big would a common snapper have to be to be constantly hunting ducks? And me and my friend saw 6 ducks flapping about geting pulled under in a span of say 2 or 3 seasons, always in the same general area.

Haven't seen a duck go down in years now. Whatever it was, think its dead. Whish I saw it happen again these days I'd swim out there to catch something like that.

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