Determined Young Snapping Turtle

I take my regular walks to the McKenzie boardwalk along the St. John's sideroad almost everyday. Sometimes it seems like the marsh is empty, and no creature will try to pose in front of my camera. But I know if I always look closely, marsh is full of surprises. This time it was a walking surprise, in fact walking away from the marsh. So graceful, so confident and aiming for the road. I blocked him with the stroller hoping that it will turn around. No, not at all. I call this determination.

The young snapping turtle was going somewhere, and I was not letting him. I will not let him simply get run over by the cars - seeing dead bird was enough of a disappointment today. At that point I didn't know it was a snapping turtle, but as cautious I am about handling wild animals, I simply placed him in the plastic bag and moved him into a safer place near water. I just hope I did the right thing.

I am always amazed how much wild life there is in the marsh and around, despite that it is so close to the busy road and there is so much of the road noise. One would thing that all the noise would scare them away. It also makes me think, how many turtles I ran over with my car. Ouch, don't want to think about it, but its possible.

Just in case you run into a snapping turtle trying to cross the road, here are some handling tips I got from Wikipedia.

'Lifting the turtle with the hands is difficult and hazardous. Snappers may stretch their necks halfway back across their own carapace to bite. Also, their claws are sharp and capable of inflicting injuries. Manual lifting (which should be done only if no other options are available) is best accomplished by grabbing the top of the shell behind the head with one hand and the other hand holding the shell between the rear legs. Then you can proceed to lift the turtle with the head facing away from you and all others. This way the turtle will not be able squirm and try to dislodge the handler's hands with its hind legs. Even a small snapper is relatively powerful for its size, with long sharp claws; further, due to their aquatic habits, these turtles are often slimy and wet, and are good at causing prospective handlers to lose their grip. In the case that a snapping turtle must be handled, it is best to keep the turtle on the ground or very close.', Source: Common Snapping Turtle, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.