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></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2">< --Apple-Mail-170--883085799 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all, I just did a bit of looking around and there's lots "lore" in circulation about moving snapping turtles. How much of this is based in fact, is unclear. The best advice appears to be to avoid handling snapping turtles at all, instead using an implement like a shovel, paddle, or even a broom to help propel a turtle in the direction they are going and out of harm's way. Bev Wigney's shovel technique sounds like an optimal approach. If you have to handle a snapping turtle at all, it may be best to avoid lifting the animal entirely by simply lifting the the hind quarters by the base of the tail, and supporting the turtle with the other hand under the plastron, and thus "pushing" the turtle out of the way in the direction that they are going. This avoids lifting the entire weight of the turtle off the ground. Its important to stay well away from the jaws (larger snappers can amputate a finger with a bite) and they have a really long neck and can move it with great speed! In the face of conflicting "lore" I defer to experts such as John, who has spent a lifetime studying and working with reptiles and amphibians. Cheers, Chris On 24-Jun-09, at 12:30 PM, Randy Lauff wrote: > Ok, so I'm wearing my anatomists hat (and lab coat) for this one: > > I would be interested in the source of that information, Peter. I > cannot believe that a tail could be so fragile...there's a lot of > tough skin and muscle holding that tail to the body, in addition to > the vertebral column. For those of you who have seen many of these > turtles, how many have had missing, or partially missing tails? > Predation attempts, especially on younger turtles, would result in > missing/partial tails if the tail was so fragile. Anyone know if > tails grow back in turtles...I don't think so off hand. > Having said that, I have had little hands-on experience with > turtles, but I trust Nature to have built critters to withstand that > kind of force. > > Randy > 2009/6/24 Peter & Lorraine Hope <peterhope@ns.sympatico.ca> > I would beg to differ. I have read that for larger turtles this can > dislocate the spine by picking all the turtle's weight up on the > tail. I think it is an old method and I would never do it for a big > turtle. > > To get them off a highway I approach from the rear and scoot them > along with a sweeping movement of my foot against the back of the > shell by the tail. I do so in a series of short moves so I don't > flip and don't hurt the turtle. If it is crossing the road push it > in the direction it wants to go. They may grip the road but a little > push has never damaged toe nails or injured the turtle. > > These re the pek days for turtle nesting. > > Pete Hope > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Christopher Majka > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:48 AM > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] snapping turtle pics > > Hi folks, > I checked with John Gilhen on this who informed me that carrying a > snapping turtle by the base of the tail where it meets the plastron; > a) does not cause injury to the turtle; and b) is the safest way of > moving one (if you must absolutely do this). You must grasp it at > the base of the tail, and not halfway along it, and when carrying it > the plastron (i.e., the belly of the turtle) should face your leg, > and not the carapace (i.e., the back of the turtle). Trying to grab > a snapping turtle by the carapace behind the head could be a very > dangerous procedure, given the long, extremely flexible, and agile > neck of a snapping turtle. > > In general, you should only move a snapping turtle if there is > really no other option (i.e., getting it out of the middle of a > road). As John said, "Trust me, you do not want to get a bite from a > snapper." A snapping turtle can be a really dangerous beast. > > Cheers, > > Chris > > > Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada Coleoptera > http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html > c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca > > > > > > > -- > Randy > _________________________________ > RF Lauff > Way in the boonies of > Antigonish County, NS. --Apple-Mail-170--883085799 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi all,<div><br></div><div>I = just did a bit of looking around and there's lots "lore" in circulation = about moving snapping turtles. How much of this is based in fact, is = unclear. The best advice appears to be to avoid handling snapping = turtles at all, instead using an implement like a shovel, paddle, or = even a broom to help propel a turtle in the direction they are going and = out of harm's way. Bev Wigney's shovel technique sounds like an optimal = approach.</div><div><br></div><div>If you have to handle a snapping = turtle at all, it may be best to avoid lifting the animal entirely by = simply lifting the the hind quarters by the base of the tail, and = supporting the turtle with the other hand under the plastron, and thus = "pushing" the turtle out of the way in the direction that they are = going. This avoids lifting the entire weight of the turtle off the = ground.</div><div><br></div><div>Its important to stay well away from = the jaws (larger snappers can amputate a finger with a bite) and t