Brave swimmer has face to face encounter with giant snapping turtle

Common snapping turtles are in almost every lake and river in North America. They lurk in the weeds and muddy bays in most bodies of water and they are occasionally seen basking on logs and on rocks near shore. They are ferocious looking creatures, feared by many due to their large heads and powerful jaws. On land, they have been known to snap at people in what appears to be an aggressive display for those who venture too close. Growing well upwards of 30 pounds and reaching the size of a serving platter, they look terrifying at first glance. They are prehistoric in appearance.

The truth is that they are virtually harmless to humans. That aggression on land is actually defensive behavior because they cannot retreat quickly or pull their massive heads into their shells for protection. When encountered in the water, they are much more graceful and confident. Their personality and behavior are completely different and they will rarely try to bite a person. They scavenge for food, eating dead things such as rotting fish. They do us a great service by helping to keep the water clean and free of rotting carcasses. If we do encounter one in the water, it is usually because they are curious about us, or about the commotion we make in the water. They will occasionally swim near people to get a close look.

Common snapping turtles should not be confused with their cousins, the alligator snapping turtle. With much larger heads, sharper beaks, and more powerful jaws, they can pose a very serious risk to people. Alligator snapping turtles are also less inclined to avoid humans. They will snap at almost anything that gets in front of them and they can inflict serious wounds.

The common snapping turtle has a keen sense of smell and they can follow the scent of food over quite a distance to find it. Their eyesight is also very good and they will swim close to anything white or shiny that might resemble food. This large snapping turtle seemed to be fascinated with this snorkeler's mask. He came out of the shadows from underneath a dock at the family cottage and then followed this man for more than twenty minutes. Being no stranger to snapping turtles, and being well aware of their friendly and curious nature, he had no problem with such an encounter. When the turtle's head is fully extended, it is also displaying a level of comfort. This position also makes it difficult for the turtle to spring his head any farther forward, so the swimmer was easily able to stay out of range of the jaws in case it decided to give him a little curiosity bite.

Snapping turtles are wild animals and should always be treated with caution, however, they are not the monsters that they are made out to be and we should welcome the sight of one in any lake or river.