365 Urban Species. #168: Common Snapping Turtle

[urbpan]

Location: The Riverway, by the obsolete Carlton Street Footbridge.

Urban species #168: Snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina

The largest reptile in New England is also the most common reptile of our urban places. Tolerant of pollution, and able to make use of a variety of different food sources, including aquatic plants and carrion, the snapper seems otherwise unlikely to live in the city. Living up to 40 years and growing to 30 pounds or more, the snapping turtle is viewed by many as a fierce predator. It can be, as it squats in the muck covered with algae, ambushing fish, frogs, and arthropods. The snapper's long neck can extend almost the entire length of its body, and its strong jaws and sharp beak chop prey animals in half. But very often, particularly in urban settings, snapping turtles scavenge the meat of animals that have already perished.

Most city people become aware of snapping turtles when, usually, in the early morning on a bright summer's day, they encounter a snapping turtle on land. These animals are loathe to leave the comfort of the murk, but are compelled to do so when it is time to lay their eggs. Females, laden with eggs that may have been fertilized by sperm that they have stored in their bodies for over a year, haul their bulk onto land and make a perilous journey. The snapping turtle's body is covered by their shell quite incompletely, and much exposed flesh is vulnerable to raccoons, foxes and the like. This is why, on land, a snapping turtle will puff up, hiss, and strike ferociously. They must find a place to lay their eggs in well-drained soil, to ensure that they will not be destroyed by flooding--the eggs must breathe. Sandy soils are preferred--path and road edges, as well as parking lots are favored locations for nests.

Anywhere between a dozen and eighty eggs may be deposited, and the vast majority will are eaten by skunks and other predators. The tiny hatchlings are fodder for herons, other birds, and fish. Only a few make it to adulthood, but when they do, nothing can reliably prey on them. Once grown, an urban snapping turtle's worst enemy is the common automobile.



[I have been asking people at every opportunity--for instance, snapping turtle demonstrations at my work--if they have ever been bitten by a snapping turtle in the water. It is my belief that, while this is a widely feared event, it almost never occurs.]

Comments

[miss-jett.livejournal.com]

This is completely unrelated to your post, but I saw a weird bug the other day and it made me think of you. ^_^

[okaree.livejournal.com]

Yay, snappers! I used to work at a nature centre where we did a snapping turtle event every year. It involved rounding up dozens of snappers and walking around with them through crowds. no one ever got bitten, but we took precautions (wearing gloves, never touching them anywhere but the back of the shell, because those necks are long!).

Biting snappers

[(Anonymous)]

You are correct, snappers are unlikely to bite when in water. However they will bite on land. The only time they come out is about mid-June when the females lay their eggs. If the female is approached she may attack if they feel threatened and they can be fast. So keep your distance.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Yay me!

You know, for a Turtle, I'm not really all that familliar or even interested in turtles. I should delve into the philosophy of this...

Anyway, I saw a turtle trying to cross the road that leads up to the new Ikea in, um, some suburb south of Boston, near where Jordan's Furniture is. There was a woman who had blocked traffic with her car so that she could encourage the turtle to make it's way off the road and safely into the neighboring woods. The funny thing was that the woman was so afraid to get close to the turtle that she was using a mop to poke at it. We almost stopped to help her out, but chose not to, for no good reason. Now I wish we had stopped.

[pwl1.livejournal.com]

I have an early memory of a snapping turtle making an attempt towards the toe of my brother's shoe. Not that my brother was kicking it - just attempting to persuade it to move off the road. I've also rescued (read: picked up and moved off the road) a non-snapping turtle that was crossing a road near my home. It was kept as a pet by my neighbour and later donated to a zoo. It must have been about 8" to a foot across the shell, and seemed to quite enjoy the watermelon slices we gave it.

[brian-z.livejournal.com]

Hey wait... I think I know that lady!

[miekec]

I've been looking for them these past few weeks, ever since I saw my first one two years ago (see http://miekec.livejournal.com/2004/06/15/ ). Haven't seen them yet, this time around. When I mentioned to a "reptile keeper" at the Museum of Science that I had rescued this poor turtle from the street, she all but yelled at me that I should have let her keep going, because they apparently are stubborn and persistent about which direction they want to go. Any thoughts on that?

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

they do seem to be persistent. a guy a couple years ago moved one out in front of the house back down by the water and she just climbed her way back up to the road. i think as long as you move them in the direction they were headed, then it's ok.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's true. If they are headed across a street and you want to help them, move them in the direction they are headed, otherwise they'll go back to where you picked them up.

By the way, I saw another one in the Riverway (on the Boston side, just past the footbridge) yesterday, and found a partially dug nest this morning--they're out there! I always see them early in the morning.

[(Anonymous)]

I LOVE TURTLES ! THEY ARE CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!