Common snapping turtles spend most of their lives in water, but females on their way to deposit eggs are often encountered on land (both sexes may also cross land in search of better habitats or due to competition from larger turtles). People who find snappers crossing roads or in other places where they will likely wind up in trouble often wish to help. In these situations (and in spite of our good intentions!) the turtles invariably stand their ground and bite viciously. In fact, the species’ name, “serpentina”, refers to the long neck and lightening-fast strike.

As you can see by the photos accompanying this article, I have a long (given my age) history with these fascinating but belligerent creatures. Actually, I have kept a number of quite calm snapping turtles that showed no aggression, but all are capable of causing severe injuries, and feeding accidents are always possible even with calm individuals. Never put your hands in the vicinity of a snapper’s head, even for a moment – believe me, you will not be able to avoid the strike! This is a turtle to observe, not handle.

When helping a turtle to cross a road, always place the animal in the direction it was headed...if not, it will no doubt just try again when you leave. Pushing the turtle along with a broom, garbage can lid or the like is the safest option. However, this may not be enough to encourage a large or especially stubborn animal to get out of harm's way. In this situation, you may need to lift the turtle. Use the technique described below - it has never failed me, and is the method used by herpetologists and zoo keepers.

Small turtles can be lifted by grasping the rear of the carapace (upper shell). Larger animals will use their powerful legs to dislodge your hands if you attempt to do this. Be aware also that the long neck can reach and bite to almost to the very rear of the carapace.

To lift a large snapping turtle, approach it from the rear and slide your hand along the carapace until you reach the edge, just above the head. This looks dangerous, and the turtle’s head will be pressed against your fingers, but it will not be able to bite you. Support the rear of the turtle's carapace with your other hand, as shown in the photo above. Do not lift snappers by their tails, as this will cause severe injuries to the spine and internal organs. 

The only slight problem I've had with this method occurred with a particularly large male. I was 12 years of age at the time, and, guided by my turtle-obsessed herpetologist uncle, had been catching increasingly large snappers from age 5. This brute struck so hard that the top of his head ground my knuckles painfully against his carapace. He also growled - I kid you not! - which did not increase my desire to hold on. He could not bite me, but the length of time I lifted him was so short that my uncle missed the photo-op! You can see this turtle in one of the photos above, resting in front of me following our stalemate. 

Common snapping turtles can make interesting, responsive pets, but they get very large - adults will eventually require an outdoor pool or similar enclosure. My uncle recalls finding one of over 50 pounds in the Bronx River, and 1 or 2 of 60+ pounds came under his care at the Bronx Zoo. A veterinarian friend recently sent us a photo of an obese captive that lived in a bathtub in Manhattan and topped out at 84 pounds! For those up to the challenge, I'll cover the captive care of common snapping turtles in a future article.

Thanks and please write in with any questions or snapper observations you may have, Haiden.