Go Ahead Make My Day [Contest Finalists May 2011]
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
Jack 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! #9399488
Leslie McLain
May 13, 2011
Terry Cervi
May 13, 2011
Val Feldman
May 13, 2011
John 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
Nancy L. Green
May 14, 2011
Chris 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! #9473889
Carol Eade
June 22, 2011
Gord MacEachern June 22, 2011
Big congratulations on this well deserved finalist Peaches, good luck next round!! #9474168
Nancyj E. Hovey
June 22, 2011
Tamara K. Walker
June 22, 2011
Courtenay Vanderbilt June 22, 2011
LOL, Peaches! Congratulations! #9474606Jessica Jenney June 22, 2011
Congratulations, Peaches on your fabulous finalist! #9474629
Kay E. Mahoney
June 22, 2011
#9474657
Judy A. Lawhon June 22, 2011
WTG, Peaches....congrats!! #9474898
Terry Cervi
June 22, 2011
Renee 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!!!:-) #9476054
Agnes Fegan
June 22, 2011
Mukesh 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! #9476337
Cindy Bendush
June 22, 2011
Lindley Johnson
June 22, 2011
Usman M. Bajwa
June 22, 2011
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! #9477268
Mary Dimitriw
June 23, 2011
Stefania Barbier
June 23, 2011
Melinda F. Schneider
June 23, 2011
Neal D. Hatcher June 23, 2011
congratulations Peaches-good luck for much more in the next round #9477781
Val Feldman
June 23, 2011
Karen 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! #9478910
Leslie McLain
June 23, 2011
Patrick Rouzes
June 23, 2011
John Connolly June 23, 2011
Congratulations on this wonderful finalist, Peaches, and good luck in the next round! #9479857
Emile Abbott
June 23, 2011
JO 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 #9485021
Elizabeth A. Marker
June 25, 2011
Bojan Bencic
June 26, 2011
Mitch Spence
June 26, 2011
Susan 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
I bet my snapper can beat your snapper!!! #10143728
Jim Baines
May 20, 2012
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
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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