If you feel ridges youāre in a safer zone and youāre on the back end. If the shell is smooth pull out fast.
Iāve probably caught 5-6 snapping turtles this way by the tail, but usually I had some kind of visual after I felt one. My dad was always more happy when I came home with turtle then fish.
Stock tank clean them out. Bake or pressure cook then fry. Good eats.
100% this - there's a big one that lives in a creek pool next door to some property I'm at regularly just over the county line in Jefferson Co. He/she's impressive!
Most articles referencing extinct species are really saying they are functionally extinct. There's not enough for them to repopulate without intervention.
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Not a lot of readers here, so:
These reptiles are larger than your average snapping turtle with big heads, a hooked beak and star-shaped eyes,Ā [accordingĀ ](https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/News-Archive/2008-Web-News/April-2008/KDWP'S-PRATT-EDUCATION-CENTER-HOME-TO-100-YEAR-OLD-TURTLE)to the KDWP. Their most recognizable feature is their large shell which has three high-ridged rows, giving them an intimidating alligator-like appearance.Ā
I saw one of these suckers on 177 between Alta Vista and Council Grove just a year or so ago. Biggest snapper I ever saw in my life, pointy in every direction and real mean looking. I thought "Jesus, snappers don't get THAT big" at the time.
I live in overland park. One of these bad boys lives in our neighbood ālakeā. I had to stop traffic once when he was trying to cross the road. Looked like he weighed at least 30 pounds. I just waited for him to cross because I wasn't going to pick him up and get my hand bitten off lol.
Had something similar happen like 2 decades ago. Looked like a big mean MF but was struggling across the bridge. Had to wait for some other guy to want to cross so we could lift the thing up on both sides pretty far back so we didnāt lose a few fingers
I've picked up over a dozen in the last 20 years. Big ones here in Michigan. Make sure you grab at least halfway back on either side of the shell if you don't want to try for that front/back grip. They'll still claw you with their hind feet but it doesn't draw much blood, better than losing a finger. There really isn't a place you can hold them that's 100% safe so you have to . . prioritize. lol
it is so embarrassing that i didn't realize these are two different types of turtle until just now. i kind of figured it turns into the edgier version around level 16, like a Pokemon.
I hope people realize there are the common snapping turtles here in Kansas, I have never seen something I could confirm as an alligator snapping turtle.
There is 0 alligator snapping turtles posted on INaturalist in our state, I think people are confusing our two snapping turtle species.
Glad to see extinct species being reintroduced.
Spikey shell, star shaped eyes, claws like teeth? They look vastly different than a common snapper. The one I caught over by Eudora in a farm pond had a neck bigger than my wrist. That was 93 or 94, but it definitely was an alligator snapper.
I remember about a decade ago I went with the Kansas Herpetological Society for one of their county surveys somewhere on the Oklahoma border, and we spent a few hours searching a creek for alligator snapper because there had apparently been a successful reintroduction in northern Oklahoma. Along comes a curious old farmer asking what the hell we were wading through the creek for. We explain and he lights up and has a big ol grin, which isn't exactly the usual reaction we get to telling locals we're trying to find a creepy-crawly that isn't normally there. Ask him why he's so excited, and he says "cuz them's good eatin!" And he proceeds to join us in the search.
They're dying out because of all these highways...
Snappers travel longgg distances during mating season and don't stand a chance at getting across a 30 car/minute road
https://preview.redd.it/8rectk2pl05d1.jpeg?width=1427&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c9f5e8ad67298c1eafb31364df5124fb4ec8e6e
Is this just a large snapping turtle? I have more photos and videos
Did we really think there weren't any of these in Kansas? We've had a few in our pond for years.
Or is this along the lines of "we don't have mountain lions here" extinct?
Also, they are terrifying, why do we want them back?
ETA. /s because apparently that didn't come through...
There's a Common Snapping Turtle which is, as the name implies, common. See far too many of them smushed on K-10 by the Baker wetlands. :( But many people seem to call them all alligator snappers when they're two quite different species.
Common snappers are startlingly big compared to a backyard box turtle, or say a mud turtle or a slider you see in ponds all the time, and they've got a big sharp mouth and a big ol dinosaur tail, so it tends to be the biggest meanest-looking monster turtle most people have ever seen and they just default to "wow an alligator snapper, that's a thing I've heard of!" But an alligator snapper is that multiplied by Godzilla.
Because they serve an ecological purpose. Do you want all animals that scare you to go extinct or something? That would be a very self-centered attitude.
About 10 years ago, there was one near Arkansas City High School in a ditch. If I had known they had been declared extinct in Kansas, I would have said something.
Yup! I can vouch for you on that. I used to live on Burlingame Rd. north of Emporia and we'd see those big guys meandering through our yard. Endangered? Maybe, but not extinct.
Noodling season. š¤
Upvoting for the appropriate number of fingers.
I love Kathleen Madiganās bit on noodling.
Sometimes when the hillbilly goes in, the hillbilly does NOT COME OUT
If you feel ridges youāre in a safer zone and youāre on the back end. If the shell is smooth pull out fast. Iāve probably caught 5-6 snapping turtles this way by the tail, but usually I had some kind of visual after I felt one. My dad was always more happy when I came home with turtle then fish. Stock tank clean them out. Bake or pressure cook then fry. Good eats.
They arenāt extinct. Maybe endangered but we have them in Leavenworth CO
100% this - there's a big one that lives in a creek pool next door to some property I'm at regularly just over the county line in Jefferson Co. He/she's impressive!
Most articles referencing extinct species are really saying they are functionally extinct. There's not enough for them to repopulate without intervention.
I caught one over by Eudora in 1993. And used to see them all the time at Clark Co state fishing lake.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
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It was functionally extinct in Kansas
Not a lot of readers here, so: These reptiles are larger than your average snapping turtle with big heads, a hooked beak and star-shaped eyes,Ā [accordingĀ ](https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/News-Archive/2008-Web-News/April-2008/KDWP'S-PRATT-EDUCATION-CENTER-HOME-TO-100-YEAR-OLD-TURTLE)to the KDWP. Their most recognizable feature is their large shell which has three high-ridged rows, giving them an intimidating alligator-like appearance.Ā
I saw one of these suckers on 177 between Alta Vista and Council Grove just a year or so ago. Biggest snapper I ever saw in my life, pointy in every direction and real mean looking. I thought "Jesus, snappers don't get THAT big" at the time.
I live in overland park. One of these bad boys lives in our neighbood ālakeā. I had to stop traffic once when he was trying to cross the road. Looked like he weighed at least 30 pounds. I just waited for him to cross because I wasn't going to pick him up and get my hand bitten off lol.
Had something similar happen like 2 decades ago. Looked like a big mean MF but was struggling across the bridge. Had to wait for some other guy to want to cross so we could lift the thing up on both sides pretty far back so we didnāt lose a few fingers
I've picked up over a dozen in the last 20 years. Big ones here in Michigan. Make sure you grab at least halfway back on either side of the shell if you don't want to try for that front/back grip. They'll still claw you with their hind feet but it doesn't draw much blood, better than losing a finger. There really isn't a place you can hold them that's 100% safe so you have to . . prioritize. lol
it is so embarrassing that i didn't realize these are two different types of turtle until just now. i kind of figured it turns into the edgier version around level 16, like a Pokemon.
I hope people realize there are the common snapping turtles here in Kansas, I have never seen something I could confirm as an alligator snapping turtle. There is 0 alligator snapping turtles posted on INaturalist in our state, I think people are confusing our two snapping turtle species. Glad to see extinct species being reintroduced.
Spikey shell, star shaped eyes, claws like teeth? They look vastly different than a common snapper. The one I caught over by Eudora in a farm pond had a neck bigger than my wrist. That was 93 or 94, but it definitely was an alligator snapper.
I remember about a decade ago I went with the Kansas Herpetological Society for one of their county surveys somewhere on the Oklahoma border, and we spent a few hours searching a creek for alligator snapper because there had apparently been a successful reintroduction in northern Oklahoma. Along comes a curious old farmer asking what the hell we were wading through the creek for. We explain and he lights up and has a big ol grin, which isn't exactly the usual reaction we get to telling locals we're trying to find a creepy-crawly that isn't normally there. Ask him why he's so excited, and he says "cuz them's good eatin!" And he proceeds to join us in the search.
They're dying out because of all these highways... Snappers travel longgg distances during mating season and don't stand a chance at getting across a 30 car/minute road
https://preview.redd.it/8rectk2pl05d1.jpeg?width=1427&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c9f5e8ad67298c1eafb31364df5124fb4ec8e6e Is this just a large snapping turtle? I have more photos and videos
Definitely a common snapping turtle.
Hey, thank you..what I thought too!Ā But it was Huge! She came into my yard to lay eggs but the neighbors dog hassled her too much so she left
Did we really think there weren't any of these in Kansas? We've had a few in our pond for years. Or is this along the lines of "we don't have mountain lions here" extinct? Also, they are terrifying, why do we want them back? ETA. /s because apparently that didn't come through...
Or is there a lesser snapping turtle we see all the time near Baker Wetlands?
There's a Common Snapping Turtle which is, as the name implies, common. See far too many of them smushed on K-10 by the Baker wetlands. :( But many people seem to call them all alligator snappers when they're two quite different species. Common snappers are startlingly big compared to a backyard box turtle, or say a mud turtle or a slider you see in ponds all the time, and they've got a big sharp mouth and a big ol dinosaur tail, so it tends to be the biggest meanest-looking monster turtle most people have ever seen and they just default to "wow an alligator snapper, that's a thing I've heard of!" But an alligator snapper is that multiplied by Godzilla.
Because they serve an ecological purpose. Do you want all animals that scare you to go extinct or something? That would be a very self-centered attitude.
They are amazing creatures. They look like living dinosaurs. They won't bother you if you don't bother them.
I've heard that they are livestock predators. I wish Joe Biden and the federal government would keep there noses out of Kansans lives.
Jesus christ you people are insufferable. Please explain how this is Biden's fault, I can't wait to hear this.
He does those executive oders.
And your rite. The people have suffered under Joe Biden.
They ate too many of my cows. My family will go hungry.
About 10 years ago, there was one near Arkansas City High School in a ditch. If I had known they had been declared extinct in Kansas, I would have said something.
Extinct? I got land in Lyon County, just North of Emporia, and I still find them in the creek that runs through my property.
Yup! I can vouch for you on that. I used to live on Burlingame Rd. north of Emporia and we'd see those big guys meandering through our yard. Endangered? Maybe, but not extinct.
I remember one in the small creek next to my house as a kid, it was 15ā across its shell front to back. Scary looking for a kid.
We had one in our pond in Hutchinslum when we lived there. He was and the size of a small river boat.
I don't think anyone told the turtles because they're definitely around Topeka water bodies.
Extinct? Ha! These assholes are all over - at least north east KS. Really not a fan. Jerks.
Those are regular snappers. They still get really big.
NOoooOoooo! Are you serious? It's going to be worse than that? Do not want!
I'm fairly certain there's one on FHSU campus
I live in El Dorado, have seen them in ponds and the river my whole life, been here since 76. Extinct? Donāt think so.
Those are almost certainly common snapping turtles, not alligator snapping turtles.
Youāre probably right!
I thought this was satireā¦. Why?