Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What eats lilly pads?

I've recently planted some lilly pad in my pond. A week or two later I noticed that some of them seem to be "eaten" down to where they emerge from the pond floor.

Are they being eaten and if so, by what? This has not happened to all the pads I planted.

Thanks.
Sunil

I have a Snapping Turtle in my pond that has cleaned out one lump of lilies and has left the others alone ?

jab, thanks for the reply.

I have snapping turtles and "regular"/box (I think) turtles.
Last spring '02, I planted two lillies and they've done just fine. But about a month ago, I planted (7) and only (2) seem to still be around.

Anyone been bit by a snapping turtle while swimming or wading?

Snapping turtles are quite shy and gentle in water, it's quite unlikely they would take a bite at anything in water except for the usual browsing of plant foliage. When taken out of a pond they will do a bit of huffing and puffing and put on a display of 'snapping' with a head lunge, though it's not particularly directed at anything.

Disturbed in water, snappers usual reaction is to scuttle the other way and hide, they can remain motionless and underwater for over an hour, so if you saw a snapper dive, don't expect to see it again if it doesn't want to be found

With a bit of coaxing they will bite on a stick usually without doing much damage, barely making an impression on quite soft wood. I'd be quite skeptical they could do much in the way of bodily harm, they might have quite wide mouths but they don't open that much. The sharp beak does act like a hook so it could be painful.... it would take a quite large snapper to even fit a finger in it's mouth, I'd guess their mouth barely makes a 30° aperture...

This year I've trapped snapping turtles up to 12" shell length from ponds where they pecked at the water lily baskets to destruction, so I got a chance to have quite a good look at them.... incredibly gentle in water, quite amusing when they start chasing you across the garden when they are out of the pond....

During Summer, turtles are the likely muncher of water lilies, the distinctive 'v' shaped beak is fairly obvious evidence.... during Winter, ducks are the likely culprits, they can tear and shred water lily crowns, leaving the water clouded and 'white' droppings in the water

Regards, andy

Andrew...Don't think you have crossed paths with an alligator snapper...It will remove a finger in one bite

Andy, thanks for the reply. I'm actually not looking to get rid of my turtles. My pond (8-10 acres) seems to have reached some natural balance.
For whatever reason, these lily pad eating culprits (turtles) have not eaten other pads that I planted about 2 years ago.

We've had the place for 5 years now. From what I understand, the pond was stocked back in the '70s however, the person who stocked it back then insists that he put in small mouth bass. The pond is full of LMB, Crappies, Sunnies, and Cats. As of last night, I put in 300 smallies (100 in the 3" range, and 200 in the 5-8" range) along w/ 50 lbs of shiners, 58 lbs. of fatheads, ten 2 lbs lmbs. I've got 2000+ crayfish, forty 8-10" lmb, and 50 jumbo perch still to come in the next week or so.

I may just be screwing the whole "natural balance" thing up.

None of my current lmb seem stunted. All sizes seem healthy and there are numerous lmb in the 4-5lb plus range. Biggest one I've seen caught was 21" long.