9/13/2004: "Legendary" snapping turtle caught
 

http://cellar.org/2004/bigassturtle.jpg

A giant 100-pound alligator snapping turtle, thought to be 50-years-old, is captured in a net Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004, in Fullerton, Calif. Workers hired to scoop fish from Laguna Lake pulled out the turtle that local residents have heard tales about for 40 years.

And he's pissed.

I've heard urban legends of baby alligators being flushed into the sewers and becoming huge monsters. I've heard urban legends of baby turtles being flushed into the sewers and becoming huge monsters too.
This must be their bastard child.

The nice thing about this critter is that not only would it make great soup, but you could turn the remains into a nice pair of boots as well.

The question is, what will they do with him? Not soup I hope. If they put him back in the same lake and people know it, he'll be hunted mercilessly. :( They should put him in another lake and not tell anyone where.

Hey NBN I dare you to stick uour ( name the body part ) in that mouth !!!!

Some stories are urban myth. But see what indigenous fish can be found in Delaware, Schuykill, and (soon to be) Potomac Rivers.

What are they doing with him, not to mention the fish? I hope they put him back.

I've actually seen a larger one at the 10 Mile River Scout Camp in New York State. One morning he swam back and forth in front of my camp site, disappearing only when I went for the camera. Stretched out he was easily 5 feet from head to tail. Couldn't begin to guess how old he is.

Was that in the big pondlike area of the Delaware River - just up from the boat launch area? People swim in that water.

Nope, it was in Lake Nianque, actually a pretty small lake used for swimming by Kernochan and Family Camp. But Bubba didn't get that large by going after people. He avoids them, as do the other large snappers. I spend quite a bit of time turtle watching when I am up there and it can be a challenge to find them, even tracking the bubbles.

They seem to know when Kernochan gets out a week early and hang out in the people-free water there.

Too bad this guy didn't have one of these http://www.tultw.com/pics/Cecil041.jpg

People scare their food away, so they follow it. :)

When we were down at the inlaws' place a few years back, Mrs. Elspode and I were driving around the rural vicinity of their abode, and came across a fence line that had a snapper's head stuck on *every* pole. There were dozens of them, I swear.

I sort of wondered why someone would bother to do that. Warning to other snappers? Hick art project?

I took some pictures, but seem to have misplaced them.

Ahh, yes, a legend in his own pond...