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Never mind the ducklings, make way for giant turtle
New commenting turned off as we begin the Great UHub Migration. Back later today.
By adamg on Wed, 05/09/2018 - 8:18pm
Roving UHub photographer Elisha Meyer found herself stopped on Allandale Street on the Jamaica Plain/West Roxbury line around 4:15 p.m. today - by a monster turtle, at least until police showed up to help him across the street:
He got a BPD escort and everything. I guess it gives new meaning to the term "rubbernecking."
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Comments
Adorable!
No it’s
Ahturtable. Heeeee heeeee
did he win the race?
Or did the rabbit say he was disqualified by getting a lift?
Is that a snapper?
Yeah, I’d make way for it.
Yes, a snapping turtle
If you don't know them, leave them alone. They have nasty tempers, and can damage you for life. In other words, not at all adorable.
I remember coming across
a female snapper one early spring day at Fowl Meadow. She was in the middle of the path; a beautiful creature. We respectfully stepped around her, giving her space and she paid us no mind and continued on her way.
Holy cow!
I mean turtle! Would NOT want to meet this bad boy in a dark alley. Or shady pond!
When moving snapping turtles
Remember to only move them in the direction they are already heading. If they are trying to cross the road, get them across it vs. trying to turn them back to the place they are coming from. They are headed somewhere for a reason.
Sun
Sometimes they are just sunning themselves, not headed anywhere.
This time of year, if found
This time of year, if found out of the water they are likely females looking for or returning from nesting sites.
These aren't painted turtles which often bask.
Move them with a nudge from shoed foot, right?
I've seen video of a guy that looked like he knew what he was doing carrying one with his hands on the back of its shell.
Mr. T lashed around and extended his neck and bit the guy.
They don't just poke their heads out.
And never, ever
grab them by the tail or near their head via their shell. Those heads can swing back far enough to grab you.
I remember helping one across the street with another man. The snapper was very agitated and we used a shovel to scoop the bad boy up and deposit him in a safer location across the street.
I don't know about that
I have seen a big one picked up by the shell, towards the back, and also by the tail. Their heads can't reach that far back. Poking one with your shoe, however, is a bad move. They can spin around pretty quick, and then your foot is at the business end.
But yeah, if you have to move one, and aren't experienced with it, use a shovel. Or a bulldozer.
Right.
I was referring to picking it up (and holding it up) by the tail and/or grabbing the shell too close to the head. The back shell is fine.
Don't lift by the tail!
Their tail is part of their spine, so picking up a turtle of that size by the tail could cause them permanent spinal damage.
This video from a local conservation group gives a demonstration of how to move a turtle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx0-wfIKxIg I like her "wheelbarrow" method.
I have picked up a fairly large snapping turtle; they are not only heavy, they are also usually wet and muddy, so they're slippery! They will also continuously lunge their heads out to snap, and kick their feet. They have sharp claws, so you will end up with some scratches.
Boys will be boys
Three of us ,ages 11 14 15 fishing in the Muddy River near the old Sears building caught a very large snapper. We carried it to St. Stevens street near Symphony Hall where we knew a janitor who had a hanging scale. We weighed it , we just had to know it's weight........45 POUNDS ! So we carried it to Mission Hill , we were going to keep it as a pet until our older sister saw it and nearly had a heart attack. So we went and got our tree branch ( that we used to carry it ) and we took it back to the Muddy R. By now it was almost dark. Just as we released it into the river the police detectives came rushing up to us with their guns drawn. they flashed their light on the river and saw the the turtle on the surface in mid river. One cop said to the other, holy Jesus Joe , look at the size of that thing. They holstered their guns and started laughing. They said they were getting calls that we had a dog or a baby on a stick. One of us rubbed hand together and said " all in a days work " It was a different world in 1955.
Those jaws mean business
I grew up between two bodies of water, and saw a couple of snappers this big make their way across the back yard over the years. Once, to prove a point about how bad an idea it was to get near them, my father poked one with the (wooden) handle of a shovel. Turtle cleaved it in pieces: bit clean through an inch and a half of handle. Don’t put your fingers where a snapper can reach them.
Nevermind the ducklings indeed
Sad story time. Saw mama duck on I-95 northbound this morning apparently trying to gather back up some lumps that traffic did not make way for. Depressing start to the morning.
In awe at the size of this lad
Absolute unit
Bill Galvin spotted campaigning in JP?
Nimble guy, that Bill.
Whoa
These bad boys are often found hanging out in the pond near the Forest Hills Gate of the Arboretum. Seems like a better spot than Allandale Road!
Allandale Rd
There are ponds on both sides of Allandale Road, so he/she was probably just crossing the road for a change of scenery.
Lookin' for love
It's that time of year.
Let's hope Turtle finds their love
Outside of earshot of humans, preferably.
What snapping turtles are doing
They are females out to lay their eggs. They are an important part of a pond's ecosystem.
Spotted Big Turtle in Newton
funny... i just saw an enormous turtle making its way toward the road in Newton... never saw that before!