This is a baby snapping turtle that showed up on our driveway, no idea where from.  It’s not like we’ve got any swamp land close.

For a trespasser, he looks innocent enough, even cute, but I’ve met his kind before.

Four years ago, when we moved to North Carolina, I was welcomed by this little tyke’s much bigger brother.  The kids and I were coming home and saw a turtle in the middle of the road.  I stopped the car and walked over, thinking I’d just give him a help across before someone ran him over.

He looked a little odd…I’d never seen a turtle with a beak mouth like that, or an alligator tail.  Some instinct warned me to go carefully, so I told the kids to stay back and approached Mr. Turtle from behind.  I picked him up quickly, one hand on either side–

and in a moment of clarity knew what the beak was for and that I was holding a snapping turtle.  He couldn’t quite reach my fingers, for which I’m eternally grateful, but that didn’t stop him from trying.  It also didn’t stop him from scraping my hands with the claws on his feet, and peeing on me.  So much for gratitude.

I walked very carefully to the side of the road, crouched into a runner’s stance, and tossed the turtle the few inches onto the grass.  Then I ran.

Mr. Turtle gave me another baleful look, then headed on his way.  Meanwhile I pointed out to the kids all the identifying signs that indicated this was no turtle to be messed with, just so they’d know to leave him alone in fututre.  Then I counted my fingers one more time.

However, as you can see from the little guy’s picture above, I still haven’t learned to keep my distance.  And who knows?  Maybe baby snappers like these could be raised as pets.  Can you imagine what kind of watch dogs they’d make?

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