Oh, Snap!

We were giving two of my aunts a tour of our neighborhood’s walking path and ponds and I spotted a unusual shape in the stream about fifty feet in front of us. I rushed to the side of the stream and Could. Not. Believe. My. Eyes. (that’s how the cool kids express extreme surprise).

That’s a snapping turtle (my guess is a Common snapping turtle – Chelydra serpentina), and a rather large one at that. They’re not exactly native to West Texas, and certainly not something you’d normally find in a suburban pond.

Of course, I had left the house without a camera – these photos came from my iPhone and fortunately they turned out OK. Debbie and I later returned with a decent camera but found no trace of the turtle.

We later learned that the guys who take care of the landscape maintenance duties found the turtle on “A” Street and put him in one of the ponds. I assume he was making a day trip up the stream in search of frogs and fish, and probably had returned to the pond by the time we went back to look for him.

After this, I’m not sure I’ll be surprised at anything I see around here. Be sure to check back for photos of an alligator, or perhaps a brontosaurus.