Our temporary turtle friend

[Crashbandit05]

My son and I found a young common snapping turtle very close to our driveway so I brought him in for a few days to teach my son about reptiles, wildlife, etc. We released him yesterday in a shallow pond a few hundred feet away. They are such cool little 'dinosaurs' so I figured I'd share some pics and a video of him swimming off.

 

[Tortdad]

I love snapping turtles

 

[Tortdad]

My uncle cAtches them and my aunt turns them into snapping turtle soup

 

[jamest0o0]

Me too they are some beasts.

 

[Crashbandit05]

My uncle cAtches them and my aunt turns them into snapping turtle soup

Unless you're joking, that is incredibly cruel.

 

[Tortdad]

Unless you're joking, that is incredibly cruel.

Nope. All you need is a fishing licenses to catch snapping turtles with a limit of like 3 a day. They like it. No different that hunting and eating deer. To each there own I guess.

 

[Tortdad]

I personally love snapping turtles. One of my buddy's has a beautiful one hat I love feeding.

 

[Crashbandit05]

Nope. All you need is a fishing licenses to catch snapping turtles with a limit of like 3 a day. They like it. No different that hunting and eating deer. To each there own I guess.

True. I'm pretty much vegetarian so like you said to each their own. If I had a larger tank, I'd would have kept him longer. They are savage when eating. Where are you located? I think snapping turtles are pretty common here but idk anything about people eating them.

 

[jamest0o0]

I've known people tl do that as well. There would always be milk cartons floating in the water for them I think(Idk I was young). I wouldn't personally do it, but my belief is as long as there's minimal suffering and the animal is used, it's okay. I find most hunters respect the animals and nature. I could shoot a deer but never a turtle lol.

 

[jamest0o0]

What kind of enclosure do you need for a snapper?! I love the alligator snappers personally. GF(basically wife) would never allow it without me being thrown in with it.

 

[Tortdad]

True. I'm pretty much vegetarian so like you said to each their own. If I had a larger tank, I'd would have kept him longer. They are savage when eating. Where are you located? I think snapping turtles are pretty common here but idk anything about people eating them.

I'm in Houston but my aunt and uncle live in the mountains of Virginia where the turtles are very plentyful.

 

[Tortdad]

What kind of enclosure do you need for a snapper?! I love the alligator snappers personally. GF(basically wife) would never allow it without me being thrown in with it.

My buddy has a small outdoor pond for his

 

[jamest0o0]

Jealous...

 

[Tortdad]

They are ferocious little hunters

 

[Crashbandit05]

I'm in Houston but my aunt and uncle live in the mountains of Virginia where the turtles are very plentyful.

Ah that makes sense. I live in the mountains of North Carolina.

 

[Crashbandit05]

What kind of enclosure do you need for a snapper?! I love the alligator snappers personally. GF(basically wife) would never allow it without me being thrown in with it.

Very large tank or outdoor pond. They apparently have been seen swimming under ice so their temps have to be pretty cool.

 

[Tortdad]

Yep, they can survive winters in a frozen over pond.... as long as it's not frozen solid

 

[Graves923]

They can grow massive. There are a few large adults in the fishing ponds by my house.

Caught this old guy while fishing for catfish one night. Brought him up on shore and very carefully removed the hook (what we could...). I had to guess he was close to 45-50lbs.

 

[Andee]

They can get larger than that too... no aquarium can house them well in my opinion, they are very territorial and I think it's just asking for trouble keeping them in captivity in a household aquarium, unless you make a zoo sized one.

 

[jamest0o0]

The alligator snappers reach almost 200 lbs.... insane. Do these guys have any natural predators lol?