Incredible Images and Video of One of Maine’s Prehistoric Reptiles, the Snapping Turtle
Easily one of my favorite parts of social media is the endless content of Maine Wildlife. Groups, images, stories, and video fill my timeline daily. And some I just have to share.
Maine Wildlife
Enter Karl Ramsdell. Karl is a frequent content machine for me. His photography is exceptional. He is also the administrator for the MAINE Wildlife Facebook page. The public page is for everyone to post and enjoy Maine's wildlife. The wildly (no pun intended) popular group has a following of over 100,000 people, including yours truly.
Well, Karl is at it again. This time he's highlighting a reptile whose evolution dates back over 100 million years.
That is the face of a common snapping turtle. This prehistoric beast may be one of Maine's most unique creatures.
I honestly haven't had much experience seeing these in the wild. Apart from helping a baby snapper cross the street one day (medal-worthy, yes), I strangely haven't come across one. I just keep imagining what it would be like to have this bad boy just pop his eyes out of the water right next to you. That's how bad horror movies begin. But I digress.
Common Snapping Turtle
The common snapping turtle is, well, common. It's also one of the seven native land turtles in Maine. Their body can grow to about 20 inches, and they usually live between 30 and 40 years. The reason why people tend to see them on roads is because the gravel and sand are a big hit for the momma snapping turtles to set up their nests.
The above image captures so much detail and feature of this beautiful reptile. It also gives you a look into millions of years of evolution. Much like an alligator, seeing a snapping turtle is like stepping into our own Jurassic Park, or at least the closest thing we will ever get to it.
It also might make you wet your pants, especially if you see it swimming by you like this.
A big thank you again to Karl and his amazing film and photo work, and for allowing me to share this incredible media. If you love Maine's Wildlife like I do, you should give MAINE Wildlife a follow on Facebook.