Who Says Turtles Are Cute?

Yeah, so personally I don't like turtles.

Last week one of my Welsh Harlequin Ducks (Amelia) had one leg bitten off and died less than 24 hours later. Let me tell ya, that's enough to get my blood boiling!! It was time to get my turtle trap out again.

Even a relatively "harmless" pond turtle will maim a duck (Ive seen them do it) but when you put these monsters into the mix your ducks simply disappear (or are more horrendously injured).

Below is not my trap, its a dog pen. This is what I put the snapper in once I got him out of my trap. And believe me, I did wonder how I was going to move him at all, let alone change cages.

Some people love all  turtles even snapping turtles. I'm not one of them. I won't be cruel to any creature (this turtle will be relocated) but I do not like them. At All.

You can see how his weight has lifted up the liner of the dog pen.

Had to put the door of the pen facing the walls of the wheelbarrow so he couldn't shake them open.

You can't see them in these pictures but he actually has two old bullet holes in his shell where someone tried to catch him before.

The weird thing about these snappers is that they're more animal/ monster than reptile. Pond turtles are almost helpless if they're turned on their back but snappers have such long legs and head that they can right themselves quicker than you can say Jack. Here he is lifting himself up on all fours.

Creeeeepy!

So we thought we'd measure him. 

Just the shell is 17 inches. His head when extended would be about 5 or 6 inches more and his tail is about 7 inches. From tail to head we're looking at about 28 inches, almost 1 meter.

I estimate him to weigh about 30 pounds.

And he growls. 

And hisses.

And snaps. BIG SNAPS.

So there you have it.

Turtles are not cute.

But they're good eating, so they tell me. 

If you're into that sort of thing.