Thursday, September 13, 2012

I Spy...

Over the course of the years,
I have spied
possum, raccoon,
birds, deer, coyote
and even a bear in my backyard.
Well, and most recently, I have
smelled but not seen
a skunk.
Max has come face to tail with it
twice now, in less than a week! Ugh!

But the other day,
as I stood on my deck,
I saw something creeping along
my fence line that was a total
surprise:






Let's get a little closer...





My suspicions were confirmed...





 It's a snapping turtle!







From my research,
he's moving from pond to pond
or perhaps it's a she looking to lay her eggs.






So long!


31 comments:

Mike said...

Yep, best to leave that one alone. Snappers don't play well with others. ;)

Beth said...

WOW!! That turtle is one big guy (or gal!)

andy said...

What a cool animal
!!!!!

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Oh cool. We only see box turtles around here.

Elizabeth Edwards said...

what a cool find. i've seen other types of turtles ... but never a snapping. interesting!! (:

ZielonaMila said...

Beautiful photographs. I am greeting

snowwhite said...

Jill,
Dangerous!! Don't touch it.
I have not seen a turtle with such a long tail.
I have spied the deer mingling in trees whenever I am in Nara Park. Spying is a fun!
keiko

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Ooh, best to let that one pass on by!

Rosemary said...

Yes, this would be something I would have to photograph to have people believe! What a great treat :)

Anonymous said...

Nice find! Those guys are grumps, but they sure awesome to watch.

TexWisGirl said...

when i find these guys on land, here, i relocate them to another rural pond further down the road. :)

Jackie said...

As a kid I remember those big ole snapping turtles trudging down the middle of the road up near Motley by a friends home. They are about the ugliest thing I've ever seen and it's a good thing they are slow cuz you dont want to get anything caught in those jaws. Jill you have got some of the craziest animals milling around your area.

Donna said...

LOVE the shots Jill! I never get to see much in our backyard...
hughugs

My Mind's Eye said...

I think all the critters are telling each other about a nice lady named Jill and her daughter Becky who love all and will provide safe passage.

What an excellent series of shots..at least this encounter did not involved
tomato sauce
Hugs madi and Mom

Unknown said...

Very cool pics! Love Madi and Mom's answer as to why it was there!!!

Dianna said...

I remember seeing one YEARS ago at my Grandma's. I was just a little girl, and my Mom warned me not to get near it or it would take off my hand!
Surprisingly I've never seen one here at our house; just a few box turtles.

Ellie said...

Oh dear poor Max!!!
I've never seen a snapping turtle before and my goodness that is a long tail.

Rohrerbot said...

That is a cool find. But don't get too close:) I remember seeing one the size of me when I was little. It terrified me. Very very cool capture:)

Jill from Killeny Glen said...

WHOA...he is a big one! The kids found a baby snapper in our GARAGE the other day...very unusual...we think one of the kitties brought it up from the creek. YOURS IS HUGE!

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I love the prehistoric looks of snapping turtles! I tried to get one off the road a while back, and ended up getting chased by it--so much for trying to be nice--But I got it off the road! :-)

Bonnie said...

Wow, I will happily be content with my harmless turtles. They can get really really big! Great pictures!

Angela said...

Those big turtles are always amazing to see. I won't get close to them though!

Susan said...

How exciting to see.. and right in your own backyard. Great pics Jill :D)

Jeanne said...

Yeah... you better keep your distance for that little sucker. They are mean.

Bev said...

Oh my how wonderful!!! A turtle!!!

Chatty Crone said...

How did you know it was a snapping turtle vs some other kind of turtle?

Anonymous said...

I would not want to "tangle" with him/her!!!!!!

Lynne said...

Is the snapper still around . . . ?

Busy Bee Suz said...

I LOVE turtles. Living at your place is like being in a zoo...so many critters to spy! Fun!

Nancy said...

Totally awesome find -- I'd be floored! :)

Ida said...

Totally cool discovery. So glad you snapped away. I love the last shot of the turtle and it's tail.