Well, it’s that time of year again to start seeing turtles crossing the road and in our yards, especially right before or after rain.
Seems that I have my own snapping turtle that I have seen crossing my driveway or yard for over six years. I’ve named him Oscar and he’s mostly black with a dirty green back. He comes from the south of my driveway and seems to be headed north toward my pond. When I spot him, he always poses for his picture and continues his journey. I reckon Oscar is about half-grown as snappers go.
Scientists say that the snapping turtles have been around 90 million years and are found in North America with some in Central and South America.
Snappers usually hang around or close to water although they can be seen traveling on land to find new habitats or nesting sites.
In our warmer climates, it takes around 12 years for a snapper to mature. Although there is not much research, they can live to be over a hundred years old.
These snapper turtles have powerful jaws and when provoked or feeling threatened, they can display very defensive behavior.
Some people might see a snapper crossing the highway and have a desire to get the turtle out of the road before it gets run over. Not always a good idea. Why are you taking a chance of getting your own vehicle run into — or worse, getting yourself run over?
Oscar the snapping turtle makes his way to a pond.
J.A. Bolton
Now, if you can’t resist the urge to remove a snapper or other type of turtle out of the road take a few precautions:
1 - Don’t stop in the road.
2 - Don’t pick the turtle up by his tail, that can injure their spine.
3 - Remove one of your floor mats and place in front of the turtle.
4 - Gently place one of your hands on the very back rim of the turtle’s shell. As you lift the turtle, place your other hand under the turtle's belly and gently guide the turtle onto the mat.
5 - Pull the mat with the turtle on it backwards in the direction that the turtle was headed to start with (heading him in a different direction just confuses the turtle).
I used to fish in a pond above Ellerbe that had the most snapper turtles I have ever seen. Why, you best not throw a springer of fish back into the water because it wouldn’t be long, the fish would be eaten alive by a turtle. Although there were a lot of smaller turtles in the pond, there were also some monsters too — now, I’m talking over two feet wide and had heads as big as softballs.
Sometimes, while fishing in that pond, I would hang one of those monsters while in my small boat. You could tell if it was a large turtle because if your line didn’t break, he could pull the boat around.
When you would get one of those monsters to the top of the water, most would let out a loud grunt or roar. Unless I wanted one to eat, I would just cut the line and let him go. The meat of a turtle is very tasty, that is if you have a mind to clean it.
God forbid if you happened to get bite by a snapper. With their powerful jaws, old folks say the turtle will hold on till it thunders. At any rate, don’t try and jerk your limbs out the turtle's mouth — that can tear your skin. Some say if you are bitten, take your hand or a stick and gently rub the turtle’s nose. This seems to relax them, and they will release their bite on you. Others say that if you are around water when bitten lower the turtle back into the water and, most of the time, the turtle will let go.
Turtles have a lot of bacteria in their mouths and, after a bite, wash the wound with warm water along with an antibacterial soap. Then dry the wound and put some antibiotic ointment and a bandage over the wound. If the wound starts to turn red or feels hot, you might want to contact your doctor. They can give you some high-strength antibiotics plus a tetanus shot because turtles do carry germs.
I hope I haven’t scared you into not liking turtles but, as with any other wild thing, you must be careful while around them.
J.A. Bolton is author of “Just Passing Time,” “Southern Fried: Down-Home Stories,” “Sit-A-Spell,” “Early Years at Blewett Falls,” and co-author of “Just Passing Time Together,” all of which can be purchased on Amazon or bought locally. Contact him at ja@jabolton.com.
