Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I agree that one shouldn't try to move a snapper if there isn't a good reason. (I had a very good reason, see explanation further on). Only touch a wild animal if it is absolutely necessary. Only attempt it if you know what you are doing and have been properly trained. Otherwise find someone that does know. Lucky for this snapper I am trained & experienced in this area.
***avoid injuring their legs and tails, see links*** Best advice is not to pick up a wild turtle unless you are trying to move it to safety and are confident in your experience. How to pick up a turtle: http://www.midatlanticturtles.org/Handling.html Videos on how to pick up: http://laughingsquid.com/how-to-pick-up-a-snapping-turtle/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSRW5FiDKlI (after watching that one I thought maybe I am braver than I realized. ha ha) Interesting information about snapping turtles: http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/snappers.htm We would have run this snapper over if we hadn't been driving ultra slow looking for the entrance to the preserve. We had to go out of our way to awkwardly steer around it to enter the parking lot. It was blending right in with the gravel so I knew if I didn't move it the next car would flatten it. Sadly, thousands of snappers are run over every year. These often are females moving to a place to nest or young in or near the nest. Although my personal technique doesn't involve touching the tail others use the tail to help position the turtle but I advise against holding a turtle solely by the tail. (see above links). The turtle's claws did not leave any scratches on me, nor did it hurt, but again, I've picked up a lot of turtles. After watching these videos you'll probably decide to leave it to an experienced person if a turtle must be moved. These videos make them seem much feistier than my personal experience but good to be aware of their defensive abilities. I've been handling reptiles on and off since I was an literally an infant, (oh the joys of having older brothers), so I'm not afraid of them. We had a rescued (injured) snapping turtle on exhibit when I worked at the Cayuga Nature Center as a zoology educator as well as plenty of snakes. One of my goals was to have the children learn to value and respect the reptiles roles in the ecosystem and care about them as much as the birds and mammals. Experience does matter. I haven't been bitten by a snake since I was seven and never by a turtle. As part of my job I handle reptiles several times a week. Try to always wear gloves when handling reptiles and wash your hands well afterward if you didn't wear gloves. Warning: I have seen inexperienced or overly cocky people receive reptile bites. Move slowly, avoid fast motions. Sorry if I didn't expound on these topics in my first post. Thanks for the reminders. I suppose I should have mentioned the "don't try this yourself" kind of warnings. Since I'm a zoologist not a herpetologist I will defer to any herpetologists that may want to add or correct anything on this topic. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
