Beltane Solstice Moon
Rigel has a small pink abrasion on her right nostril. Kate showed it to me this morning. We both concluded it probably got there via snapping turtle. Here’s the story.
(chelydra_serpentina)
Rigel’s job is to patrol the fence line and warn off any invaders, be they dog, human, cat or, in yesterday’s case, snapping turtle. Usually we let her do her job without intervention, but while I took a shower, Rigel set up an alarm bark that agitated all the other dogs. And, in the occasional assertion of her coyote hound genes, she wouldn’t stop. Usually, she barks at something, then, after a bit, calms down. Not this time.
Kate got up from her nap to go investigate. Rigel had found a snapping turtle just on the other side of our chain link fence and had already expended considerable energy telling it to stay there. Do not come in here. This is my yard. Stay out. Go away.
Rigel and Kate returned to the house. After my shower, and unaware of all this excitement, I let the dogs out again. And. They found the turtle, this time inside our property and, Kate, again going to see what was up, discovered Rigel on her belly, legs out in front, barking at the turtle, but this time from a distance. Vega patrolled the rear, going back and forth around it. The turtle had gotten about halfway through our woods from our fence line paralleling 153rd to the rear fence line, traveling on a diagonal to a spot that was well over two football fields away.
Kate, who has taken the turtle as her totem animal, recovered the turtle, holding its shell at the rear. Even then, she said, the turtle’s long neck kept snaking around toward her hands. She removed the turtle to a position outside our fence line and we’ve not heard any new alarms.
Based on reading the material* below I imagine this was a female hunting for a place to lay her eggs. (see the video)
*Group:
reptile
Class:
Chelonia
Order:
Cryptodeira
Family:
Chelydridae
Habitats:
Lake Shore,River Shore,Marsh, Medium Rivers and Streams, Large Rivers, Littoral Zone of Lake,Deep Water Zone of Lake
Breeding takes place any time that the turtles are active, but occurs most frequently in the spring and fall. During June, females travel to open areas that are suitable for nesting, and may travel 1 km (0.62 mi.) or more from water. Suitable nesting areas must be open and sunny and contain moist but well-drained sand or soil. Nesting areas are commonly sandy banks and fields, but also include gravel roads and lawns. The female uses her hind feet to dig out a cavity, and then lays 10-100 (usually 25-50) eggs, using her hind feet to guide them into the nest. The eggs are 2.2-3.2 cm (.87-1.25 in.) in diameter, white, and have a leathery shell. Once the eggs are laid, the female covers the nest with sand or soil and returns to water. Depending on the weather, the eggs will hatch in 50-125 days. Incubation temperature affects the sex of the hatchling turtles, with more females hatching during warmer temperatures, and more males hatching during cooler temperatures. Hatchling turtles use their egg tooth and claws to break out of their shell, and then must dig their way out of the nest and find water. When they emerge, hatchlings are 2.5-3.2 cm (1-1.25 in.) in length. Young turtles are vulnerable to predation and desiccation. From any given clutch of eggs, 60%-100% of the young may be lost to predators. Primary nest predators include raccoons (Procyon lotor), skunks, foxes, and mink (Mustela vison). In addition to these animals, hatchlings are also preyed on by large fish, large frogs, northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon), and some bird species. Common snapping turtles are slow to mature, reaching sexual maturity in 5-7 years.