Go Ahead Make My Day
Uploaded: May 10, 2011 23:59:41
Snapping Turtle
I found this Snapper on the property the other day,
I think it must be a female, who went to lay eggs as she was pretty far from the pond
They say a Snapper female will walk 10 miles to lay eggs and then go back to where she lives
This was a very big turtle believing she is an older one
Snapping turtles do not have teeth but do have very powerful jaws
Exif: F Number: 5, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/30 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 200, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 131.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Tiia Vissak May 11, 2011
a cool portrait! #1376081Renee Doyle May 11, 2011
Cool close up of this Turtle Peaches!! #9398979Michelle Alton May 11, 2011
FanTAStic, Peaches. I've never seen a happier Snapper! What a wonderful portrait. #9398995Douglas Pignet May 11, 2011
now that's a look...lol kewl capture #9399012Alan L. Borror May 11, 2011
Awesome, Nancy! Those eyes are wonderful and she does look happy. #9399080Annie Booth May 11, 2011
Peaches, great close. Did you look to see if she had teeth?Have a great day my friend. #9399085
Carolyn M. Fletcher May 11, 2011
Yikes!! She looks upset!! #9399246Jack Gaskin May 11, 2011
PEACHESHappy Shooting
Jack #9399257
Courtenay Vanderbilt May 11, 2011
Fantastic capture, Peaches and great info, Jack! Still, I wouldn't want to tangle with one! #9399488Leslie McLain May 13, 2011
Another amazing capture, Peaches. Wouldn't want to mess with her. #9403553Terry Cervi May 13, 2011
Hi Peaches! I've never seen a better shot of a snapping turtle, this is terrific! Wonderful color and detail! #9403606Val Feldman May 13, 2011
Oh, yeah - they DO have powerful jaws...like, breaking-a-broomstick-handle-in-half kind of powerful jaws!! But what an amazing capture - their eyes look rather...hmmm..maniacal would be the word, wouldn't it???!! :) Fantastic work, Ms. Peaches - you are one intrepid photographer, not to mention, a fantastic one at that...you always get your shot - and by the looks of this one - perfectly! :) :) #9403633John Connolly May 13, 2011
What a nice smile this turtle has Peaches! A great capture with wonderful detail, light and color! Well done! #9403679Nancy (Peaches) Harker May 13, 2011
Thanks so much everyone, she was not smiling I guarantee that LOLAnnie, no snappers do not have teeth, and Jack thanks for correcting me, I read the search wrong :) (SO TIRED)
Valerie thanks so much for the smiles, I appreciate it! Yes if they grab on they dont let go FOR SURE!
I am glad I saw her before Spanky did, as I had to holler at him when he started going toward her
Have a super night everyone! #9403749
Mary Dimitriw May 14, 2011
Wow, great detail and expression captured here Peaches! I wouldn't mess with her that's for sure. :)Nancy L. Green May 14, 2011
ABSOLUTELY AWESOME Peaches, the colors and textures are AMAZING!!! <>< #9404536Chris Ebben May 21, 2011
She certainly has beautiful eyes. Great close-up=^..^= #9419259Jane Hirst May 23, 2011
Great capture....she looks happy not snappy. #9424073Tiia Vissak June 22, 2011
Congratulations! #9473889Carol Eade June 22, 2011
Terrific shot, congratulations Nancy! #9474082Gord MacEachern June 22, 2011
Big congratulations on this well deserved finalist Peaches, good luck next round!! #9474168Nancyj E. Hovey June 22, 2011
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N STamara K. Walker June 22, 2011
This makes my day, congratulations. #9474595Courtenay Vanderbilt June 22, 2011
LOL, Peaches! Congratulations! #9474606Jessica Jenney June 22, 2011
Congratulations, Peaches on your fabulous finalist! #9474629Kay E. Mahoney June 22, 2011
Congratulations on your fantastic finalist Peaches, good luck next round.#9474657
Judy A. Lawhon June 22, 2011
WTG, Peaches....congrats!! #9474898Terry Cervi June 22, 2011
Congrats on this awesome finalist, Peaches! It looks like he's smiling for the camera! #9474967Renee Doyle June 22, 2011
Congratulations on this wonderful finalist Peaches!! #9475211Kim Andelkovic June 22, 2011
Congrats on this awesome image Nancy.......love it, I also predict a Gold badge coming....... ;-) #9475388Lorna Shutter June 22, 2011
Whoa!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS on your Finalist Award for this incredible turtle shot!!!!! WTG, Peaches!!! :)Robert R. Goodman June 22, 2011
A big congratulations,My Friend.WTG!Nancy!!!! #9475622Renata Gusciora June 22, 2011
Big congratulations on this super finalist,Nancy!!!:-) #9476054Agnes Fegan June 22, 2011
An awesome capture Peaches ... congratulations! #9476200Mukesh Srivastava June 22, 2011
Big congrats on Finalist win, Peaches!!!!! Good luck for the GOLD!!! #9476212Phyllis H. Burchett June 22, 2011
HUGE congrats Peaches on this amazing finalist! #9476220Sharon Sawyer June 22, 2011
Whoooooooo Hoooooooooo!!! WTG, Peaches. HUGE congratulations on your Finalist Win. I fell in love with this image as soon as I saw the turtle's amazing, green eyes & that big smile. Looks can be deceiving though. LOL Great find and capture... all the best in the next round. #9476231Tammy Espino June 22, 2011
Congrats on a fantastic finalist! :) WooT! #9476337Cindy Bendush June 22, 2011
Congratulations on your wonderful finalist Peaches! #9476560Lindley Johnson June 22, 2011
What an amazing shot of this snapper, Peaches! Congratulations on your finalist! #9476607Usman M. Bajwa June 22, 2011
CONGRATULATIONS, Peaches, on this terrific Finalist and good luck up next!UB. #9476677
Avril Young June 22, 2011
congrats on this delightful finalist Peaches!! #9476757Ellen Hodges June 22, 2011
Huge congrats on this awesome finalist, Peaches!! Very best luck in the next round!! #9477020Barbara Waldoch June 23, 2011
Congratulations, Peaches, well done! #9477232Chris Ebben June 23, 2011
CONGRATULATIONS, on this terrific Finalist, very well done=^..^= #9477255Darryl Wilkinson June 23, 2011
Great close-up! Congratulations on the award! #9477268Mary Dimitriw June 23, 2011
Awesome and well deserved Finalist Peaches! Congrats! #9477490Stefania Barbier June 23, 2011
fantastic finalist, congratulations!!! #9477514Melinda F. Schneider June 23, 2011
Love this unique and very special finalist! Congratulations, Peaches!! #9477658Neal D. Hatcher June 23, 2011
congratulations Peaches-good luck for much more in the next round #9477781Val Feldman June 23, 2011
Ah, so happy to see this maniacal guy back! :) Considering you put life and limb at risk capturing this big boy - it's only fittin'! :) :) Huge congratulations, Peaches, on a FANTASTIC finalist and wishing you all the best in the upcoming round! You go, girl! :) #9477952Karen Celella June 23, 2011
Congratulations on your finalist, Peaches. #9478246Tammy L. Newcomb June 23, 2011
Oh my GOD, lol, I love this capture Nancy. I really have my fingers crossed for you. Congratulations and I hope to see it again. #9478449Robyn A. Terrell June 23, 2011
What a face, lol. Huge congrats on this fantastic finalist, Peaches! #9478910Leslie McLain June 23, 2011
Congrats on this terrific finalist, Peaches. #9479138Patrick Rouzes June 23, 2011
WOW, Congratulations, Peaches! WTG! #9479250John Connolly June 23, 2011
Congratulations on this wonderful finalist, Peaches, and good luck in the next round! #9479857Emile Abbott June 23, 2011
HeHeHe all the way to the finals. Awesome close up capture Peaches. Congratulations #9479919JO ANN CLEVELAND June 24, 2011
LOL! Love your sense of humor Peaches!WOWZA! Congratulations on this fantastic finalist!
jo ann c. #9482646
Carol L. Fowler June 25, 2011
Congrats on this wonderful capture #9484861Debra R. Harder June 25, 2011
What a fabulous expression, Peaches! Huge congratulations on your excellent finalist! Deb #9485021Elizabeth A. Marker June 25, 2011
Big Congratulations on this Fantastic Finalist Peaches! #9486005Bojan Bencic June 26, 2011
Congratulations on your finalist, Peaches. Great one! #9486472Mitch Spence June 26, 2011
Congratulations to you on your finalist, Peaches. #9487210Susan K. Snow June 27, 2011
She looks like she's smiling for the portrait photographer and she's delighted they you are creating a portrait of her.Congratulations on a portrait and finalist, well done!!!. #9490609
Merna L. Nobile June 30, 2011
Congratulations to all of the Award Winners for May 2011. Merna#9497634
Nancy (Peaches) Harker August 04, 2011
Thanks so very much everyone!!!Jim Baines May 20, 2012
Ya done good, Peach! Congratulations!!I bet my snapper can beat your snapper!!! #10143728
Jim Baines May 20, 2012
Grandma Baines taught me everything I needed to know about snapping turtles by the time I was 6 or 7. She was pushing 80, I might have been pushing 8 at the most. She'd say, "Come on with me, we're gonna catch a big snapping turkle (she never said turtle) and make some soup." She would put on her huge bonnet, grab a hoe from the barn, and head to the local creek on the edge of Pine Swamp located on the western side of the Great Dismal Swamp. She'd scratch around in the mud a little and drag a snapper up to the bank. I would take the hoe, she would grab the snapper by the tail, and back across the fields we'd go.She always told me, "Only carry a snapping turkle by the tail and it can't bite you." It sure seemed to be working for Grandma. Since then I have read articles by snapping turtle enthusiasts that say, "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER pick up a snapper by the tail, it will damage the vertebrae in the spine." But ours were always headed to the soup pot or frying pan.
Before our traipse to the creek she had already prepared a #2 galvanized wash tub (15 gallon) with clean water. That would be the snapper's home until his innards had been purged clean to Grandma's standards. Poor snapper, no food for 3 or 4 days …. She always walked into the house leaving me with the thought, "If that turkle bites you, it won't turn you loose till it thunders!"
As the day wore on I'd go back to the same creek and catch Southern leopard frogs. As I approached the tub, naturally the snapper would sink to the bottom and remain motionless. I'd put the leopard frog in and watch it kick around in circles a few times. With no place to rest it would float on the surface and remain motionless. Suddenly, I mean in a nanosecond, or less, the water would roll, we're talking "white-water" here, and I'd see frog blood mixed in the white froth of the water just before jumping back! That is about the best entertainment any foolish youngster could enjoy!! Grandma always intervened to make sure the "purging" went as planned.
#10143744
Jim Baines May 20, 2012
On the magic day she would whack off the head with a hatchet and let it bleed out. scrub the decapitated turtle with lye soap and a stiff brush till it was clean. She boiled it in a huge black cast-iron pot that hung in the backyard for making soap, lard, etc. Once the leeches and algae were off she let it boil for about 45 minutes. After it cooled she would turn it upside down and cut out the under shell and let it cool again.I can't say from experience, but Grandma said there are several different flavors of turtle meat within the same turtle. Some of the choicest is along the backbone and is almost impossible to get out if the turkle hasn't been boiled first. Muscle meat tends to be good, fat is low quality. She took particular care with the liver .. saying that is is delicious, but the gall bladder must be cut away and discarded or its acrid taste will permeate it and "it will go to waste."
Sometimes she would fry it like chicken. (I don't remember, but I'm positive it "tasted like chicken"!)
Turtle soup was cooked slowly, simmering over low heat with onions and a little salt. When the meat was tender she would dress it up by adding tomatoes, carrots, celery, etc.
P.S. Be careful with that head!!. It can still cause a nasty bite long after it has been severed .... and you may have to tote it around until it thunders!
Shown are my "Trainer", Mary Emma Butler Baines (1868-1956) and a Common snapping turtle, "Ol' Ugly", I picked up several weeks ago and "staged" out back in a 55-gallon tank. #10143749
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