Snapping turtle attacked gosling (**WARNING ** GRAPHIC PICTURES)

[SparksNV]

Wow Red that is beautiful!!! Wish I lived near more water - I live in high desert climate - which has lots of bonuses but I do miss having wetlands, trees, and wildlife around (I was raised in SE Louisiana - my family still lives there).

Glad the gossling is doing better...

 

[Snakeman]

I do not believe in killing what you are not going to use. Snapping turtles do have their place in the environment and if they weren't there, it would be a bad thing.
If you must get rid of some then use live traps(they are easy to construct) and relocate them. A mile or so should be far enough.(I should point out that reptiles have been a passion of mine for 40 years)
If that's not possible then at least use what you kill. Cut off the head. Stay clear of the jaws as the nerves will simulate a snap for quite a while after death. Separate the tail, legs and neck from the shell and skin them. A good scald will help remove the skin. Brown them in a skillet and then move them to a large pot. Add water and flour to make a gravy. Salt and pepper to taste and simmer, covered for an hour or so. One of the best meats you'll ever eat. Looks like a stew and goes well with potatoes, rice, corn, beans or any other side veggie you can think of.

Glad your duck seems to be healing well.

 

[Alabama ee]

Quote:
That thing is going to give me nightmares! That is huge. I grew up with all kinds of animals and they all have their place on this earth but I would b scared to share my backyard with that guy

They don't bother people . I have watched a bunch (about 3) walk past me. They will not attack people unless you walk over and harass them. They are very interesting animals to watch. When they walk, they do not drag their shells like most turtles. They look like living dinosaurs.

HOwever, they do eat ducks. A friend of mine lost her ducks from snappers eatting the legs of her poor ducks while they were swimming in the pond. It was heart breaking.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Quote:
You seem to be confusing "NATURAL” ponds and a pond dug for a specific purpose. The people I know with man made ponds have them spring or well fed. The water is constantly replenished and aerated with clean fresh water. Turtles are not “NATURAL” to man made ponds. Once they get in a pond they are hell to control. If by some chance they are total eradicated from the pond it is then returned to its original condition and usefulness. Turtles infiltrating ponds that were made to keep ornamental fish / coy, geese and for watering livestock only cause harm. They do no good in those ponds. They are a predator and a pest in such ponds.

 

[Afrochicken]

aww poor lil gostling hopefully it wont happen again!

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Quote:
You seem to be confusing "NATURAL” ponds and a pond dug for a specific purpose. The people I know with man made ponds have them spring or well fed. The water is constantly replenished and aerated with clean fresh water. Turtles are not “NATURAL” to man made ponds. Once they get in a pond they are hell to control. If by some chance they are total eradicated from the pond it is then returned to its original condition and usefulness. Turtles infiltrating ponds that were made to keep ornamental fish / coy, geese and for watering livestock only cause harm. They do no good in those ponds. They are a predator and a pest in such ponds.

I agree. If it was a natural pond, then yes I would be concerned about balance. In a man made pond, The turtle has to go. And yes a snapping turtle will take a good size bite out of a human or even break a humans foot IF the human is swimming...our feet get mistaken for fish

 

[chkn]

Boy those things really are nasty. I'd hate to have one get ahold of me.

 

[jrobertson]

You seem to be confusing "NATURAL” ponds and a pond dug for a specific purpose. The people I know with man made ponds have them spring or well fed. The water is constantly replenished and aerated with clean fresh water. Turtles are not “NATURAL” to man made ponds. Once they get in a pond they are hell to control. If by some chance they are total eradicated from the pond it is then returned to its original condition and usefulness. Turtles infiltrating ponds that were made to keep ornamental fish / coy, geese and for watering livestock only cause harm. They do no good in those ponds. They are a predator and a pest in such ponds.

alright alright. i'm not saying that if you have a pond in which you keep fish that are strictly ornamental that you should have turtles to keep the balance. i agree that in a body of water that wasn't intended for them, they can cause trouble. livestock watering ponds, waterfowl raising ponds, and goldfish ponds; if they are recently dug should have a barrier to keep the unwanted trespassers out. i care enough about my waterfowl, that i don't let them swim in my "turtle pond" exept for a few free range mutts. i have a barrier to keep the turtles in. i do not allow my young ducks to visit the pond. also, red maple farms wrote that the pond in question used to be an old cedar swamp, in which, i'm sure the turtles have been residing for several years. don't misunderstand me, what i was refering to are mainly fish ponds, stocked with some or all of the following: catfish, bass, bream, and crappie. turtles even out the ballance in a fish pond if properly regulated by eating the weak, old, and diseased fish.​

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Quote:
alright alright. i'm not saying that if you have a pond in which you keep fish that are strictly ornamental that you should have turtles to keep the balance. i agree that in a body of water that wasn't intended for them, they can cause trouble. livestock watering ponds, waterfowl raising ponds, and goldfish ponds; if they are recently dug should have a barrier to keep the unwanted trespassers out. i care enough about my waterfowl, that i don't let them swim in my "turtle pond" exept for a few free range mutts. i have a barrier to keep the turtles in. i do not allow my young ducks to visit the pond. also, red maple farms wrote that the pond in question used to be an old cedar swamp, in which, i'm sure the turtles have been residing for several years. don't misunderstand me, what i was refering to are mainly fish ponds, stocked with some or all of the following: catfish, bass, bream, and crappie. turtles even out the ballance in a fish pond if properly regulated by eating the weak, old, and diseased fish.

 

[oldchickenlady]

My husband called me one day at work and told me he and our son drove up and saw one of my chickens STANDING on the back of a big snapper! My son tried to get out of the car and take a picture with his cell phone, but by the time he got out of the car it had hopped off. Since I have caught and relocated snappers before, I knew how 'testy' they are when you mess with them. I had horror pictures of a one legged chicken in my head! My son caught him and took him to a creek a mile or so from our house. Thank heavens the snapper didn't get a hold of my hen! Sorry about your babies, glad they heal fast.