EXTREMELY friendly snapping turtle...

[scd250]

I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this...

We have a pond at school. In that pond we fish. In that pond there is also an approx. 3ft snapping turtle.

Through (probably years) of being fed hotdogs and worms and other bait, and also taking fish off of peoples' hooks, he has become accustomed to dragging himself up onto the dock or swimming beside it, begging for treats, and being petted. I mean, I know this isn't good for him, it is a manmade pond but it's been there for like 50 years so he had to have found his way in within that time (he's been around forever I guess and he immediately appears whenever anyone goes to the dock.)

All of this makes me go WTF?! I mean, not that many people will go near it out of fear, but he does eat anything you give him. I always thought that snappers had foul tempers. Is this normal? I've never heard of one of those being friendly.

 

[kevinfleming21]

I would NOT bet petting a snapper on the head, he will get an easy meal like that for sure

 

[scd250]

Oh, I know that lol. I've never pet him, just see people doing it (actually, only a couple...people will try to get him onto the dock so they can take pictures) he has taken plenty of fish off my lines though and I occasionally give him some of my bait to keep him off my lines.

 

[Arthur]

It was probably someone's pet at one time, possibly dropped off when it couldn't be taken care of.

 

[scd250]

Hmm...I hadn't thought of that angle. I guess he's been there for as long as anyone there can remember and hasn't caused a problem significant enough for them to remove them...at least that's what the campus cops told me. I just didn't think they generally had good personalities.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

LOL that's an awesome story. Get some pictures. Where are you located? What spp of Snapper is it?

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

there is one like this at a fire station i go to. except it lives in the drainage pipes. gets fed by the ff and others

 

[all_or_nothin]

wow. some animals will do anything for food

 

[scd250]

I go to a college in MA...as far as I can tell it's a common snapper, I've gotten a few pretty good looks at it. I'll try to get pics this summer/in the fall. He's an awesome little guy (well...not so little) except for the fact that he'll steal whatever he can reach off your fishing lines...he's not the only one in there, either. He's just the only one that's friendly.

 

[Experiment397]

a lot of pet snappers get that way if kept from a young enough age. i know of a snapper that is as tame as a red eared slider. even he throws temper tantrums occasionally. can we see some pix pls...