Shell-shocked: Carp fisherman catches Mississippi snapping turtle in British lake

uploaded by Paul Conneally September 9, 2008 at 01:02 pm
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Shell-shocked: Carp fisherman catches Mississippi snapping turtle in British lake by Paul Conneally

A Mississippi snapping turtle caught in a British lake might at first seem just a strange story worth no further comment but the introduction of such alien species into the environment can have disasterous consequences for indigenous species especially when the introduced species is a top predator such as the snapping turtle. This fisherman got the shock of his life.

A carp fisherman got the shock of his life when a rare turtle native to the Mississippi River took hold of his line in a British lake.

Stunned Drew Hammonds couldn’t believe his luck when he thought he caught a massive fish, until he looked closer and saw dinosaur-like spikes on its back.

Thinking it was a vicious crocodile, the flabbergasted fisherman dropped his rod and got ready to run for his life.

It was only when he saw the creature’s smaller body frame and legs emerge out of the water, that he realised he had caught hold of a snapping turtle which usually only lives 3,000 miles away.

Satellite engineer Mr Hammonds, 37, caught the turtle early last Tuesday morning while fishing with friends at Earlswood Lake near Birmingham said: ‘I only went fishing for carp.'