Article: snapping turtle takes defensive posture

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Here is an article written by one of my professors, Jeff Mitton, here at CUB. It shows a common snapping turtle in Nebraska, taking a defensive posture at Jeff's approach:

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_18434437?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

 

[wrmitchell22]

Thats a great picture and article thanks for sharing!

 

[RV's mom]

what a great mossy-back! nice pic!!

 

[tortoises101]

Kinda reminds me of a reef shark's threat posture.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Kinda reminds me of a reef shark's threat posture.

Interesting ... yeah, probably makes sense for an animal to get down low to protect its head, and then strike out from there if it needs to.

 

[dmarcus]

Very cool photo..

 

[Fernando]

He said it's shell was 2 feet long. Is the picture shown just an example? I'm assuming so...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Great!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

He said it's shell was 2 feet long. Is the picture shown just an example? I'm assuming so...

That should be the very turtle Jeff saw (he has a running column as a naturalist, and always shows photos he has taken himself). That looks like a two-foot long turtle to me.

 

[tortoises101]

He said it's shell was 2 feet long. Is the picture shown just an example? I'm assuming so...

That should be the very turtle Jeff saw (he has a running column as a naturalist, and always shows photos he has taken himself). That looks like a two-foot long turtle to me.

And people used to think they max out at 19" SCL...guess nature proves that there really are rare giants lurking out there.

 

[obsideon]

Here is an article written by one of my professors, Jeff Mitton, here at CUB. It shows a common snapping turtle in Nebraska, taking a defensive posture at Jeff's approach:

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_18434437?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

wow! what an awesome turtle she is!, I am lucky enough to see some of these right here at home in Iowa. I have seen two that were similar in size to this girl. other times I see hatchlings the size of a quarter that have HUGE attitudes.