AlamoPA Mailing List: My Newtst Memory

[silvrbch (silvrbch]

Hi All,
It took me 79 years, 3 months and 10 day to see this event.  I was sitting in the house watching the lake and birds.  Along the shore I seen something dark splashing around about 6-7 feet from shore.  I grabbed the binoculars and still could not make out what it was.  We have a pair of otter, a beaver and a muskrat working the shore here also.  It did not look like any of them.  So, I grabbed the camera and headed to the shore.  Splashing around was a dark animal that looked like a snapping turtle.  Maybe it was caught in a net or some weeds.  No, there was 2 snapping turtles rolling around with a couple seconds rest time and back at what they were doing.  I stood there on the bank about 6-7 feet from them watching what they were doing.  Yes!! they were MATING.  2 medium size snapping turtles about 10-12 lbs. were mating in about 7-8 inches of water with a sandy bottom.  After all the time that I have spent out in the woods, streams, rivers and lakes, I have never watched this event.  I have always wondered how this was done by animals with shells.  I now have one more education event and memory of life in Mother Nature.  We have painted turtles also, but I have never seen them mate either.  I have seen them dig a hole in the sand with their hind feet, drop in their eggs and cover over the hole with their same feet.  I suppose the snapping turtles do it the same way.
Quentin

See pictures below.  Double click to enlarge.  Short movie at the end




(A short movie)