Found this beautiful object today while scouting for Pyxidanthera blooms. The largest snapping turtle skull I've ever found--as large as my fist. This turtle was quite large; it must have weighed 70lbs. and must have been over 50 years old. In its prime, it probably could have bitten most of your hand off with very little trouble. Chelydra serpentina are ancient turtles, dating back to the Late Cretaceous. I have a soft spot for this species, even though I handle them with care. Their blind hatefulness is endearing for some reason. I like small animals with spunk.
Posts
Very nice… I grew up near the Mississippi River and snappers would occasionally wash up near our house during spring floods. Once, to demonstrate the potential danger to my curious 7 year-old self, my father gently placed a broom handle near a snapper's mouth and he neatly snapped it in half. He wasn't being threatened nor was he cornered… an impressive crankiness indeed!
ReplyDelete