Catching a Snapping Turtle.. Accidentally. 🐢#commonsnappingturtle #turtleconservation

THAT’S NOT A SNAG❗️❗️🎣

We quickly removed the hook out of this Common Snapping Turtle’s mouth after my dad accidentally caught it while fishing from his pond. What’s even crazier is after getting him on land, we realized a portion of his tail was missing!

PSA: ***If you ever have to move a turtle NEVER hold them by their tail as this can damage their spine. In another post, I talk about how to hold them or better yet, look up online from someone more qualified on how to do it correctly with specific species. ***

For a species that spends most of its life underwater, it comes in contact with all types of bacteria and needs a robust immune system to handle such conditions. 🦠

Mycobacterium, Salmonella, and Aeromonas are just some bacteria that have the potential to infect Common Snapping Turtles. Special antimicrobial peptides, along with their keratinized epithelium that forms their durable skin, prevent snapping turtles from becoming infected so easily. This is just from what I have read, and again, I’m not a cheloniologist (turtle biologist).

Either way, his tail which had fully healed over, speaks volumes about the amazing recovering abilities of the Common Snapper, and I’m beyond thankful we were able to remove the hook safely without incurring any damage ourselves 🤕

Remember to help animals that are struggling and try to dispel misinformation whenever possible. Always respect wildlife, y’all! We humans, as the “apex” predators on our planet, have a responsibility to be good stewards of this damn beautiful place we call Earth for future generations.
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Common Snapping Turtle
North Carolina
07/15/2024
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#commonsnappingturtle #wildliferescue #turtleconservation #snappingturtle #protectwildlife #respectwildlife #fishingencounters #turtlerescue #wildlifephotography #natureconservation #herpetology
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