Nature-loving reader Paul Basham sent us this article on snapping turtles. Now you can't say you didn't learn something new today.
Snapping turtles, like other fresh-water turtles in New Hampshire, are now coming out of the water to lay their eggs on land. We should give them the right-of-way.
Ranging all over the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, the female snapping turtle digs a nest in an open area on land where she will deposit 20 to 30 round, white eggs resembling ping-pong balls. After laying her eggs, the turtle never shows any concern for them. They will hatch in about 80 to 90 days. The turtle eggs and hatchings are easily preyed upon by raccoons, skunks, snakes, herons and other large birds.
Snapping turtles are noted for having a large head and a long tail and can weigh as much as 40 pounds. Their broad feet are webbed and have big claws. With an appetite consisting mainly of small fish, worms, frogs, insects and young water fowl, snapping turtles, like all turtles, have jaws with a sharp horny edge in place of teeth.
Snapping turtles are notorious for being vicious and bold, aggressive fighters. They will even advance to the attack. According to folklore, once snapping turtles grab a victim in their powerful jaws, they will be tenacious and never release their grip “until it thunders or the sun goes down.” However, the minute a snapping turtle is submerged in water, its only thought is to escape and find a place to hide. It seems as if snappers have dual personalities, one for the land and the other for the water.
I do not know first-hand, but my books say that turtles have been around for the last 127 million years. They are like living fossils. Snapping turtles, especially, have a prehistoric look with a tail like that of a small dinosaur with whom they once roamed the earth.
Turtles are known to live a long time. In fact, it is believed that turtles live longer than any other vertebrate. Some turtles have a lifespan of well over a century. In China, the turtle is considered an emblem of longevity and a symbol of righteousness.
That these reptiles survive New Hampshire winters by hibernating in the mud under the frozen ponds and lakes is an amazing feat.
The turtle's shell, a neat suit of armor, is a marvelous protection, but is no match for the tires of a speeding car. Clifford H. Pope, in his book, “The Reptile World,” writes, “Every year in the United States, countless thousands of female turtles are crushed on our roads by motor vehicles.”
Therefore, when you see a snapping turtle crossing the road, be sure to give it a “brake.”
