Snappy Steve

WARNING: DO NOT HANDLE THESE

TURTLES. THEY WILL TAKE A CHUNK

OUT OF ANY PART THEY GET IN THEIR MOUTH

With that said...here is our turtle tale for the day.

(I stop and help box turtles cross...they usually just

close up in their shells scared.)

On the way back from the service yard,

we met an alligator snapping turtle in the middle

of the highway!

A water turtle...he was clearly lost.

He was a big sucker.

Steve got Soso out of her car seat to see.

(I took some photos with his phone...

forgot she was only in diaper from playing in the hose

at the service yard.)

We could tell the poor guy was struggling,

fire ants were starting to cover him

even though he was moving.

We decided to relocate him back to the lake.
Meaning I asked Steve to do it,

he said ok.

Here he carefully grabs the turtle by the tail.
SK had to move the sucker off the road to get a better grip.

Off to the side, the turtle REALLY mad now,
Steve moves in for a better grip.
Straight off a TV show about wild animals.
The turtle, Steve guessed,
weighed between 35-40lbs.
The turtle was pinching the fire out
of Steve's left fingers by pushing back its head.
It was also trying to take a chunk of any part
of Steve he could get close to!
See the mouth still open and snapping!
Steve lowered him into the bed of the truck
for the short ride to our campground and the lake.

It took a while to get Mr. Turtle
out of the bed of the truck...
he was still pretty feisty about the ride.
Steve finally worked him into a corner

where he could grab the tail again.

The turtle was snapping and hissing...
not very cooperative!

Seconds before this frame,

the turtle let Steve know exactly how
he felt by relieving himself...
all over Steve's leg.
(Hoping turtle pee is good luck for tomorrow!)

Ninja like skill, Steve placed the beast on the sand.
Then, SK quickly JUMPED back.

As if from South LA, he popped up
hydraulic style exposing long legs!
And moved towards the water...

Without a thank you...the creature was gone.
Took a few minutes to go under water.
Steve said he was dehydrated and probably

had a few air bubbles to work out.

Nobody lost any flesh.

Turtle is home.

Happy ending to our turtle tale!

(Well...I haven't looked yet in the bed

of the truck for a turtle gift...)

I told Steve I was impressed with his

turtle wrangling skills...

he admitted that was the first

alligator snapper he's actually handled!

Then expanded by saying,

with a grin on his face,

"I watched Steve Irwin do it once on his show..."

I'm not sure if he was kidding or not...

I know there is a story, from his childhood,

about an alligator snapping turtle

taking a chunk out of a wooden boat paddle.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!