Turtle Safety

[Quack]

Growing up in the woods, my parents always warned me that snapping turtles were dangerous. This weekend, while hiking on a friend's land, I saw a very large snapping turtle on the bank of a pond that my dog swims in all the time. Now, I'm worried about letting her swim in the water. She wouldn't intentionally provoke the turtle, but may accidentally step on it or swim over it if she didn't see it. So my question is: "How dangerous are snapping turtles?" For reference, I estimate the turtle's shell to be approx. 14" across at the mid section.

 

[Double Bow]

I grew up with a pond in my backyard that had a lot of snappers in it. They can have pretty aggresive tempers (especiallynear their nests) and their jaws are very powerful. They can break bones!

On the other hand, the nextdoor neighbors had a golden retriever that always used to go swimming in the pond and the dog never got hurt. I suppose this doesn't give you a cut-and-dry answer but I think that since that dog never got hurt, yours might be safe.

 

[Remix]

Like most animals, they will bite if surprised or cornered.

They do spend some time in the mud just waiting.

I ran into a swimming snapper along the wall about 20 feet down while scuba diving off of the wall on Anthony's nose in Lake George. I approached within 4 feet and it really didn't care. I did not go any closer.

On the other hand, peaking into a cat fish hole (or bullhead?) will most definetly provoke a response. Thats the only thing that ever chased me, in or out of the water, not counting unfriendly dogs or ex-gf's.

 

[Waumbek]

Brake for Turtles! (and use a shovel for snappers)

Turtles are active now; they may be less of a problem when the peak season ends in mid-June. P.S. collecting rarer-breeds turtles (not snappers) and taking them home as "pets" is apparently a popular sport and turtle-friends advise not to post specific locations of conservation-concern breeds--I saw a Blanding's at such and such a pond--on the internet.

Give Turtles a Brake

CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire motorists should be on the alert for turtles crossing roads in search of warm sandy areas to lay their eggs. Please brake for them, urges Wetlands Biologist Mike Marchand of New Hampshire Fish and Game's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, because the loss of just a few individuals can wipe out a local turtle population.

"For some turtle species, it can take as long as two decades before they can reproduce, so the survival of the adults is critical," said Marchand.

If you can do so without endangering yourself or others, when you encounter a turtle trying to make its way across a road, you can try to get it out of harm's way by helping it continue in the same direction it was traveling. If it's not a snapping turtle, pick it up and carry it across the road. For snappers, try to stop traffic and wait until it gets across the road, or maneuver the turtle onto a flat shovel and pull it across. Do not relocate a turtle away from the general area in which you find it, and never take turtles home as pets.

New Hampshire's turtles are expected to hit their peaking nesting activity about the middle of June, about a week later than usual because of the recent cold, wet weather. Turtles deposit 5 to 30 eggs in a sandy hole; eggs incubate over the summer and hatch in the fall. Skunks and raccoons prey on the unguarded nests, destroying many of the eggs.


Turtles are the longest-living species in the state; some have been known to live for 70 years or more. The Eastern painted turtle is New Hampshire's most common turtle. Snapping turtles are also common; they usually come out of the water onto land only to lay eggs or move from one waterbody to another. New Hampshire also has four turtles that are species of conservation concern: Blanding's, spotted, wood and Eastern box turtles all are protected from collection, possession and sale.

 

[sapblatt]

After spotting a snapping turtle in my yard a few years back I called my vet to ask the smae "how dangerous" is this for my dog question. I was informed that they can reach all the way around their shell and could easily break a bone or take a large chuck out of a sniffing dogs snout. I would keep my distance.

 

[LarryD]

My understanding is that they are much more dangerous/prone to snap when on land than in the water.

 

[NewHampshire]

The pond I live on in the summer fishing (Ok, not LITERALY live on) has a small house on the corner to the turn off to the boat launch. The owner keeps a beat up old broom stick thats chewed to heck. They use it to drag snappers out of the road. The hit the ground right in front of the big guys, who then grab hold like rabid dogs. Scary things I tell ya . My Uncle and I accidentaly hit one with our trolling motor one day. This thing had to have a shell length of 2 1/2 easy! Ive never seen a guy jump as high as he did that day.....dang near swamped the canoe . Id personaly avoid them no matter if in the water or not. We have a deal......I respect them, and they DONT eat me .
Brian
P.S. Ironically the name of the pond is Turtle Pond in Concord.

 

[Quack]

Thanks everyone, I think I'll just keep the mutt out of the pond until later this summer. This is her favorite time of year to chase frogs so she'll be disappointed, but at least she'll keep all her paws.

 

[1ADAM12]

I almost hit a snapper on my way home from work last night. It was crossing a busy road. I pulled the car over and grabbed his tail and dragged him to the other side. HE about got me When grabbing their tale you have to be very fast about it or better yet just grab a stick and push him that way

 

[spider solo]

Sounds like I was pretty lucky when I donned a pair of heavy gloves and carried one across the road.
One thing I did remember from a turtle seminar outing with the UNH "turtle professor'... Dr Jim Taylor if I remember correctly... was that if "helping" the turtle move them in the direction the are heading...if returning them from whence they came they will again head back to the direction where they wanted to go in the first place.
I was never sure I actually helped the turtle but it was in such a dangerous place I thought I should lend a hand...however it may have actually been at it's destination...perhaps wanting to lay it's eggs in the sand bythe side of the road.
.....I think I heard it cursing me under it's hissing breath...
I like snapping turtles..they look so ancient and prehistoric.
I know one fellow who hates them with a passion yet when I talked it through with him he realized that he actually didn't know why..perhaps reasoning it through helped modify his view but I don't know if it did.

I believe NH has laws protecting four turtle species..protecting them from poaching among other things. (this is usually where people start making jokes about poaching the eggs, for reasons I'll never understand). Snapping turtles are not one of the protected ones.
"The Amphibians & Reptiles of NH" is a nice small guide book..published by the NH Fish and Game dept.
That would be the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife program of Fish and
Game Dept.
I would imagine other states have similar information available.
(perhaps other readers know of some good links?)

 

[Dugan]

I've had two dog that have had close encounters with large snapping turtles. The first I found in the yard chewing along the edges of the shell as if it were a chew hoof. The other approached one very carefully, moving in slowly, and got slashed across the nose. I've not heard of a dog having trouble with snapping turtles while either swimming or wading.

 

[brianW]

Snappers are more aggressive on land then in water. The females are the ones most likely to be found on land in June because of egg laying.

There are only 3 species of turtles in New England that are not threatened or endangered. Snapping, Musk (aka skinkpot) and Eastern Painted (aka sun turtle) I have stopped many times to help turles cross the road and agree that if you do this, please bring it in the direction the turtle was moving in.

Around Antrim/Hancock NH I have seen homemade "Caution Turtle Crossing" signs.

 

[Chip]

Thanks everyone, I think I'll just keep the mutt out of the pond until later this summer. This is her favorite time of year to chase frogs so she'll be disappointed, but at least she'll keep all her paws.

I think this would be a little like staying off the trail because you might get hurt. Dogs are in the water all the time. If the dog actually does get "snapped" it will be a lesson learned, not fatal, probably not even a trip to the vet.
I'd vote to let the dog have it's fun.