butchndad Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 I was in big brook early Saturday. After the storm Friday the water was higher faster and murkier than usual. I was walking down stream trying avoid stepping on and tripping in some of the big stones. I avoided a roundish one but noticed some lines on it. Looked again and the lines were not just random. It was 3-6 inches below the waterline and I bent over to look at it more closely. It was a turtle shell. It was bigger than my pan it looked to be complete. Omg! I was so excited. Fossil or modern? I figured modern but was just fine. My concern was that it would have innerds att attached but ok I would clean whatever needed. So I went to gently tip it over to look with my trowel and it MOVED!!! Upstream!!! Touched it again and it moved against the current a bit faster. It had never dawned on me that it was alive. And so I went on to the usual big brook finds and the memory of my greatest find of my lifetime ... almost 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_gotta_rock Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 I refuse to give up my childish wonder at the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 That's my snapper! Glad to see it is still alive, I haven't seen it this year!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 That’s hilarious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjfriend Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 So close! Better luck next time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 I had the same experience in a stream in Virginia. I just climbed over a downed small tree and saw what I thought was a turtle carapace. I kept looking at it and just lightly poked at it with my walking stick. It turned out to be a very large snapping turtle that had somehow wedged itself between a rock and the fallen tree and it wasn't happy at all that I poked at it. My collecting buddy and I were able to pull the tree to the side enough that it freed itself and slowly moved away. I was really glad that I didn't reach into the water with my hand. Marco Sr. 2 "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Great story! 8 hours ago, frankh8147 said: That's my snapper! Glad to see it is still alive, I haven't seen it this year!! That’s incredible. You think you see the same one? “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokietech96 Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Haha. Great story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Haha, great story, is it actually true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HemiHunter Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 That is FUNNY! My kids have actually captured (and released) many turtles on out fossil hunts this year on the Potomac and Chesapeake tribs. That includes a hatchling snapping turtle and a very old diamondback terrapin. I think 10 different species altogether. Turtles are so cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 I love turtles, too (and tortoises, as well!) Perhaps Adam might like to read this @Tidgy's Dad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Nice story. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butchndad Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 8 hours ago, Familyroadtrip said: Haha, great story, is it actually true? yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 10 hours ago, The Jersey Devil said: Great story! That’s incredible. You think you see the same one? I would think based on the size stated. That's a shallow stream for a turtle that big; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyc Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Yeah, I’ve picked up what I thought were coprolites, but they turned out to be modern. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKen Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Yes, New Jersey can grow some big snapping turtles. The pond in my former development (in South Jersey) had one who was a big as a car tire... and I am talking full size SUV tire, not a donut off a compact car. One of my neighbors swore he saw it catch and kill (nearly) adult Canadian geese. Since those geese were a plague on our pond and that snapper was apparently the only thing effective against them, my neighbor swore he would defend that thing by force if necessary if anybody tried to harm it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Great story next let’s hope you find the big one. Could have been worse it you took a hit of that snapper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butchndad Posted July 15, 2020 Author Share Posted July 15, 2020 Ironic follow up is that i posted a piece of bone to be ID'd today and was told that it was likely a turtle fossil. So in some (very) small way, i found my fossil turtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now