Young Snapper

Young common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

I found this little future monster when I walked down to the ponds to check on a project we started to evaluate soil moisture requirements of three different species of Hibiscus:  Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos palustris or syn. Hibiscus palustris), and Hairy Rose Mallow (Hibiscus lasiocarpus).

The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a large freshwater turtle with a bad attitude and a very mobile head and neck (presumably the origin of the name serpentina).  Because they don't have many predators, their upper shell can grow to be a half-meter (50cm or almost 20 inches), and they can weigh over 30kg (over 65 pounds), but they're much more common at about half that size.

Last year, just after completing the new turtle pond, we found an adult female laying eggs.  I thought she was merely stuck on the bank and lifted her up the steep muddy slope, only to discover the eggs below.  That ruined my day.