High Street at Cruelery.com - The Web's Bitter Afterbirth / Feeding Time For A Snapping Turtle

fnord · 2011-10-15 05:30:50

DupeOrNot · 2011-10-16 05:11:57

Um.... as a biologist and a former boy who captured and held captive snapping turtles... that's not typical behavior in my experience.

They eat carrion. They're REALLY FUCKING VICIOUS (self defense) out of the water, but in the water, they just hide (unless you're carrion).

I'm guessing this is habituation on the turtle's part to eat anything that hits the water in the captive environment (which happens after a couple of weeks). It would do the same thing to a lump of hamburger.

Let's quote "Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia": "Under water, they usually do not bite, but on land even hatchilings snap savagely at imposing objects."-- that is my experience in the real world of wading around in swamps in Virginia.

This is more typical snapping turtle MO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQQBkSPPibY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=mPy8yRV9g9U

I've heard stories (second hand) of police divers looking for bodies and puking underwater when they see that the turtles have found them first.

Last edited by DupeOrNot (2011-10-16 05:21:20)

George Orr · 2011-10-16 11:06:52

I lived in the Carolinas/Virginia as a child. I never, ever messed with snapping turtles because I heard from someone that their beaks are strong enough to take your finger off on the first try. That was all I needed to hear.

nfidelbastard · 2011-10-16 12:43:39

I was bitten by a snapping turtle once. I had just tossed a bass back into the pond, bent down and swished my hand around in the water to wash off the slime and BAM, she bit me. I didn't see the turtle and was rather disturbed, not knowing what attacked my hand. I first thought maybe a snake had got me but the bite didn't match. The skin was broken on the top and bottom of my middle finger where it joins my hand. While I was pondering all of this, I noticed a bass float to the top of the water and his side was ripped open. Next the turtle slowly raised her head above the water, looked around then sank out of sight and took another bite out of the bass. I figure the turtle attacked the bass when I tossed it back into the pond and she thought my hand was another fish. Regardless, I'll never skinny dip again.

I think this video has been posted before but it is appropriate given the subject of the thread.