onlookerofmayhem
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Identification
- Thread starter onlookerofmayhem
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
- Messages
- 29,126
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
That is one odd looking turtle!
Maybe a snapper? I've never seen one that wasn't covered in algea
Maybe a snapper? I've never seen one that wasn't covered in algea
onlookerofmayhem
New Member
Not sure! It's face and beak looked too roundish to me. And the most flat shell seems to not be a snapper. But I don't have enough knowledge to know. I live in northern New Jersey and have seen a bunch of snappers. Doesn't look very similar to me. The shell was a foot and a half long and a foot wide and actually came when it was called!
There is a species of "big headed" turtle but I don't remember where it is from. What other information do you have about it? @TeamZissou @zovick
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This is a large and very old Common Snapping Turtle. Given your location and the time of year, it is most probably a female looking for a place to nest or returning to the water after doing so.
Where in northern NJ did you see it? I have done lots of turtle hunting there in my younger days. Millington, Stirling, Liberty Corner, Basking Ridge, Lyons, and Watchung were my main stomping grounds, and there were loads of Snappers, Spotted Turtles and Box Turtles there in those days (1960's). Also a few Bog Turtles here and there.
onlookerofmayhem
New Member
It was in Wantage, Sussex County. Thanks for the info!
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No problem. Did the turtle make it back to the water? I certainly hope so. She has obviously been around for a LONG time, and I would hate to see her life ended tragically by being hit by a car or worse, shot or killed by other means by some fool. Yes, I have found several Snappers with bullet holes in them over the years. It is disgusting what some people will do to helpless live animals.
About the only time you see Snappers out of water is in the spring when the females are nesting. This is their most vulnerable time, and many are hit by cars unfortunately. I have even seen drivers purposely veer over to hit them (and other turtle species), another disgusting trick. This has sometimes happened even as I was walking back from my car to remove the animal from the road to prevent it from being hit.
Wantage is in prime Bog Turtle country. Have you seen any of those? One of my friends lived in West Milford which isn't too far from there.
onlookerofmayhem
New Member
This was about a year ago. I will have to ask my buddy if he's seen her back around. She has been there for years as far as he knows. I have seen a few bog turtles over the years. Not too recently though.
I have moved a few big snappers from the road. Some people are absolutely disgusting that run them over, seemingly on purpose.
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It looks similar, but at 18" in length, it can't be a Madagascar Big-headed Turtle. Way too large for that species, plus it was in the wild in NJ. Plus, I don't think the Madagascan one could survive a NJ winter in the wild.
Right! I just like that exotic sounding name!
