Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Snapper infestation

I must live on a snapping turtle migration route… Up to last night I have now taken 6, yes that is six snapping turtles out of my ½ acre pond in SE Michigan in the last three weeks. None of them have been huge, almost all the same size, shell about as big around as a basketball and maybe 10 pounds. I saw number seven last night but wasn’t able to get him. How many snappers of a pond of this size should there be? I know they are not the same ones returning cause I remove them from the pond and then take them to a big swamp about 2 miles away.

I have a related but different situation. I take care of a neighbors 1 acre stock tank. Until recent heavy rains, it was about 1/2 acre in size with at least 40 turtles of all sizes. Due to some frog strangler rains, it filled up and 2 weeks later, not a turtle in sight. What would cause them to leave?

Fozzy, how do you capture snappers to relocate? Safely, that is.

Dave, I have been pretty lucky. The area the snappers are in most of the time is approx. 100 ft wide and 50 across and adjacent to the pond. The entire area ranges from 2 to 3 feet deep. When I am cutting the lawn I will see them on the surface and then they will also see me. They have all dived to the bottom and then tried to get back to the main pond by crawling along the bottom. well a good pair of polorized sun glasses and a rubber walleye net are all I have needed so far. As they crawl along the bottom if I cant see them they leave a trail of bubbles. I follow the bubbles until they come to my bridge and then the net goes in and the turtle comes out. Need to be a little patient as this can take 30 minutes some times but usually works. Then I have a 1/2 of a plastic 55 gallon drum that I place them in, put it in the back of the truck and away we go.

Fozzy, As much fun as it sounds like you are having relocating them, maybe someone who cares is putting them in for you!!

More seriously, some references suggest that snappers are highly mobile animals and can migrate miles from one pond to another; a web search suggests that females will sometimes go a mile or more just to lay her eggs. I doubt one could outrun your truck back to your pond, but walking two miles back to a pond is not hard to imagine. On the other hand, here is a link to an excellent discussion of snapping turtles which suggests that they only leave their home water to nest.

You might apply a little scientific method by leaving the next one in for awhile and seeing if two turn up. My own feeling is that they are no significant threat and add some interest to the waterscape, but they do unsettle some folks.

You think you have turtle problems? Check out this ancient creature. One biologist said that this 'ol boy probably witnessed the Civil War. He reportedly escaped from the hook right after the picture was taken.
Big Turtle

Now that's a nice snapper!