Adirondack turtle

[jsheffield]

I used to live in this area, and a friend whod knows about my interest in turtles sent me this article:


The Raquette Lake Turtle


Ithaca Journal 23 Jul 1929





Turtle Has Walked Nearly 200 Miles And is Still Going .' Albany (JP)


Somewhere In Rensselaer County is a snapping turtle which has traveled at least 200 miles in the past 27 years, much of that distance over the rocky peaks of the Adirondacks. Arthur C. Ferguson of West Sand Lake caught the turtle while fishing In Tsatasawassa Lake in Rensselaer County. Riveted to the shell was a brass plate with the Inscription, "Ed Smith, Raquette Lake, N. T 1902." As the conservation law prohibits the taking, killing or exposing for sale of all land turtles or tortoises, including the box or wood turtle, Ferguson liberated the turtle again at Cooper Pond, Sycaway, Rensselaer County, and notified Llewellyn Legge, chief of . the division -of fish and game. State Conservation Department. Raquette Lake is in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, nearly. 200 miles from the lake where the turtle was found. Commenting on the turtle's amazing journey, officials of the Conservation Department said: "How much, ground the turtle has covered since he was tagged in 1902, .whether he made the entire trip under his own power or got a lift from time, to time from friendly automobilists probably never will be known. "It Is not uncommon to see turtles on the highway, and while dead woodchucks, rabbits, cats and other animals frequently are seen, there are no dead turtles, possibly because they move along at an even gait and are about as easy to dodge as a rock."

 

[Yvonne G]

I can't quite understand the wording. . . is the turtle travelling back towards Tsatassawassa Lake? This is a great anecdote to prove what we've always said about their homing instinct, if that's the case.

 

[jsheffield]

I read it as the turtle started up in the Adirondacks in 1902, and 27 years later, in 1929, was pulled from a lake more than 100 miles south and east.

Jamie

 

[Yvonne G]

So you understood the article to mean the turtle was where he was put by humans? I thought the article was telling us he was on a trek, but didn't know if he was going the direction of home base.

 

[jsheffield]

I took it to imply that the turtle had traveled 100+ miles in the 27 years, likely by some combination of human and reptile locomotion.

Jamie

 

[Loohan]

"As the conservation law prohibits the taking, killing or exposing for sale of all land turtles or tortoises, including the box or wood turtle, Ferguson liberated the {water} turtle..."

 

[TammyJ]

Well, hello Mr. Hitchhiking Snapper. Thanks to human intervention, you have become famous in your old age.