# carrying snapping turtles



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

What's the safe and proper way to carry large snapping turtles.

I've got a large one (20+ pounds) in my ponds that I will need to relocate this fall. I've read that picking them up by the tail can cause spinal cord damage.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Stick a 1-inch diameter pole or stout branch in front of its nose. It will bite it and not let go! Drag it or lift it using the pole.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

:shrug: Why are you wanting to move a Turtle?

big rockpile


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

same as CF posted. I've 'moved' snappers before while catching them on a stick to help a guy that was studying entymology. He was looking for mite critters to complete his collection that he would look for them in the shell 'scales' or whatever. 

Be careful, though. A stout stick and they snap and bite it and hang on. Don't get your hand anywhere near the place it grabs the pole or stick. Always keep an eye on it while it's hanging on and if it should drop loose, be prepared to keep your distance or it could take a good snap at you.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I want to move it so I don't have to kill it. That's an old animal to be that big and they are becoming fewer and fewer.

A few summers ago I was poking around the shoreline with my hand and in one hole I kept hitting something hard with the tip of my finger. It was hard, hard, hard and then suddenly soft. SNAP! I had stuck my finger in the open mouth of a little 8-10" snapper. Fortunately as it snapped down it stuck it's neck out and when it was fully extended it opened it's mouth and withdrew.

I'll try the stick thing. There are pictures of people carrying alligator snappers with one hand grasping the shell in front and one hand in back above the tail. I don't know if that works with ours or not and this one is too big to try it out on.


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

We just relocated one 2 wks ago. Shoved it into a 5 gal bucket. It was not happy but tough. Dumped it in a nearby steam.


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

Put 'em in a 30 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can with built in handles...transport them one at a time.

RF


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## digdirtplanthar (Jun 22, 2007)

fishhead said:


> What's the safe and proper way to carry large snapping turtles.
> 
> I've got a large one (20+ pounds) in my ponds that I will need to relocate this fall. I've read that picking them up by the tail can cause spinal cord damage.


If I was close to you I would help you out and you would never haft to worry about that old snapper any more.

I would even invite you over for Sunday dinner.

Digdirtplantharvest


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Around here they shoot all they see,same with Otters.

I catch Turtles and eat them.

big rockpile


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I posted this last night but it disappeared or something.

It's too big for a 5 gallon pail but I do have some plastic laundry totes that would work great. Thanks.


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## Bear (Jan 25, 2005)

I hope for your sake that those laundry totes are really DEEP and that the handles are on the outside! My buddy and I caught one once crawling across a large lawn where it just exited a pond. The only thing I had in my truck was one of those large plastic barrels that was cut in half with holes cut in either side to carry. My buddy crabbed by the tail and threw it in the barrel and boy was it pi##ed. We each to a side to carry and we each nearly lost some fingers, those guys can really strecth their necks. Get one of those 30 gallon plastice garbage cans like Rocky said with the built in handles. That's what we used after the near finger amputation.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I will definitely stay out of reach. My tubs are deep and have handles on the top well out of reach. When I first saw the turtle it was sitting on top of one of my dikes. It was about 300' away and looked like some giant duck because it's head was about a foot high. I really couldn't tell what it was so when it walked over the edge I ran over to the trail it left in the weeds and tapped it with a feed scoop. I should have compared it to the size of the scoop.

Hopefully it will stay in that pond for the summer and away from my waterfowl and fish net pens. I really don't have time to hunt it down.


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## DavidUnderwood (Jul 5, 2007)

You lift a snapper by thbe tail.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

That's how I usually carry them but I've heard that it can damage the spinal cord especially on the large ones.


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## ninny (Dec 12, 2005)

You call someone that you don't like very much and ask them to go move it for you. Tell them it's tame and they don't have to worry about it biting. 


.


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## Outlaw9 (Jan 9, 2006)

I thought snapping turtles were farther south and just plain old mud turtles up there?


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I think you are thinking about alligator snapping turtles. We have regular snapping turtles. The largest regular snapper I saw weighed 42 pounds but I think alligator snappers reach more than 100 pounds.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Around here we shoot them. We are lousy with them.


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