Hosted some of Matthew and Gabriel's friends over yesterday for the afternoon, and of course it wasn't long before they all ended up down in the creek that cuts through the back of our yard. I was in the house doing something when they all came in screaming that they had caught a baby snapping turtle and asking if they could keep it. We put it in the boys' aquarium with their rock bass at first for a few hours, and he was really neat to watch. Before bedtime, I got worried that the little guy may need to come out of the water at some point to rest or sleep, so I retrieved an extra aquarium we had in storage and we set it up for him. I took it down to the creek and filled it partially with creek water and grabbed a few rocks for him. Thank God for headlamps that leaves your hands free! :D Here's the little guy in his new home for the summer... we'll probably let him go this fall depending on how much he grows. He's down in the bottom right corner, a couple inches to the left of the very corner. This is through the side of the tank... he was a little bashful and partially hid his head with one of his feet. There's already a couple minnows the boys caught from the creek swimming in around him for him to eat, and I'm starting to read up on what else we can feed him. He's about three inches long right now.
I had a pet snapper that I retrieved from a 5 lb catfish's stomach when I was in college. We named him Jonah. He was blind in one eye I'm guessing from the stomach acid of the catfish. He grew like a weed and after 3 years I let him go in Stockton Lake. He was a vicious little guy that loved to eat goldfish.
OK, that was too cool. The whole family and I were gathered around him just then before we put the kiddos to bed... we noticed that one minnow was gone and figured he'd already helped himself to him. We were arguing that fact a bit as we watched the other minnow swim precariously close to the little snapper... and then... BAM!!! I mean LIGHTNING fast he reached out and grabbed it. Held it by the tail for a second, and I was wondering how he was going to maneuver the fish around to eat it since he really only held it by its tail. No worries. He opened his mouth and closed it so quick that the little minnow disappeared completely in one gulp. I don't think I even BLINK that fast. Too cool. This is gonna be fun. :D
That is way cool Greg. I had a mud (painter) turtle as a pet when I was a kid and had lots of fun with it.
Still afraid of them to this day..... My mom and aunt picked one up, just a little one on a trip to the lake one day when I was about 5yrs. old, and put it in the backseat of the station wagon with me. So I'm back there playing with it when all of the sudden that DAMNED thing grabbed hold of my finger like nobody's business and bit down. I screamed out like an Indian's war cry, and smashed that damned thing on the window a couple of times before it let go and then proceeded to throw it out the window. And ever since those things made me nervous... :D Pretty cool Greg, just keep it away from me...
Snappers are awesome and neat critters!! Ate and cleaned a bunch of these In my day. Man are they good eating too. Cool post Greg!!
