big snappers

zaroba · #1 (**permalink**) 06-15-2006, 09:54 PM

i'm currently on vacation on the coast of VA and so far i've seen 3 huge snapping turtles. i must say i am amazed at the size of these guys as i have never seen turtles this large in the wild (not counting zoos and on tv)

all three of them had shells over a foot long

the close up of the turtles head is the head of the 3rd turtle. he was the first and biggest one i saw, had a shell that was easily 15 inches and had an 8 inch long tail that had black spikes along its top (can see part of it in the top left corner of the pic). his head was bigger then my fist. The 2nd turtle i found in the road, and so far is the smallest of the 3. after taking the picture, i picked him up and moved him back to the woods. the first one was crawling into the woods when i took the picture.

looking at the pics side by side now, the first 2 might be the same species, but the 3rd definatly is a different species. its shell is quite different and his tail is different.

Mrnicolai · #2 (**permalink**) 06-16-2006, 10:00 AM

those are awesome, wouldnt want to get my fingers in front of those huys!!!!!!

Tindomul1of9 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-16-2006, 10:37 AM

Nice!!!!!!
I once saw one in a park in NYC. I was amazed they could still be found in the city!

ranmiller · #4 (**permalink**) 06-19-2006, 04:36 PM

I saw one on the way to work the other day, had to have been as big as a trash can lid!! I'm thinking it must have been an alligator snapper, pretty rare this far north in MO I think.

ranmiller · #5 (**permalink**) 06-19-2006, 04:47 PM

This is like the one I saw, no kidding it almost stretched from the center line to the fog line...

Apparently a baby still, check out this pic of an adult!!!

I found this interesting

"Legend has it that a 403-pound Macroclemys was found in the Neosho River, Cherokee County, Kansas in 1937. However, the size of this specimen cannot be verified. The largest individual on record is a 236-pounder in the Brookfield Zoo, Chicago. A snapper skeleton which Peter Pritchard viewed in White Springs, Florida, had a carapace length of 31 inches and weighed over 200 pounds in life. These record-breaking individuals aside, Ernst and Barbour report that generally they can grow to a carapace length of 26 inches (66 cm) and weigh up to 176 pounds"

Tindomul1of9 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-19-2006, 05:17 PM

NO!!!! That picture isn't real!!!!! I can't believe it, I can't!!!
Thats a fake right?

ranmiller · #7 (**permalink**) 06-20-2006, 08:56 AM

I don't know, I wondered the same thing. But can you imagine a 236 pound turtle? Definitely possible that it is real.

Mrnicolai · #8 (**permalink**) 06-20-2006, 09:31 AM

if that were a real picture i would be more afraid of that this then alligators and crocs!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tindomul1of9 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-20-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrnicolai

if that were a real picture i would be more afraid of that this then alligators and crocs!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would too.

Thanks for the awesome Picture!!!

zaroba · #10 (**permalink**) 06-20-2006, 04:34 PM

holy crap thats a big turtle.

i was wondering if it was real aswell, and was looking around online and found a similer picture at http://www.mucc.org/OutdooramaLiveAnimalExhibits.htm :

This turtle's name is Crunch and according to the site he is 185 pounds and 150 years old. the site says its the worlds largest alligator snapping turtle.