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Shell-shocked: Carp fisherman catches Mississippi snapping turtle in British lake
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by LotusFlower | September 9, 2008 at 12:58 pm
2319 views | 25 Recommendations | 21 comments
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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.'
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (21)
at 03:31 on September 10th, 2008
This snapping turtle was going to cross the road from the pond where she lived into an area not safe for a turtle. I was able to turn her around and redirect her, but not before I took her picture. I have several shots of her, but this one excited me the most.
cntrymouse2003 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 15:33 on September 9th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
No way - this is shocking!
at 20:56 on September 9th, 2008
Mean little critters.
Somebody's pet become too much of a problem?
at 02:26 on September 10th, 2008
This snapping turtle was in the road near a small creek in Milner, Ga. He was large enough to hurt someone's car if he had been hit. My son, a few other neighbors and I tried to get him out of the road for his own sake. I would estimate that he weighed atleast 30 to 40 pounds.
Kreismanis has contributed a photo to this story.
at 03:40 on September 10th, 2008
I couldn't resist getting this fellow's picture...secure in his backpack...he couldn't have cared less about me and my camera...
Shep1953 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:28 on September 10th, 2008
Fennville, Michigan snapper netted in private pond on his way to a new home in the Kalamazoo River.
losik has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:28 on September 10th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 05:32 on September 10th, 2008
A Mississippi Alligator Snapping Turtle at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.
thedarkdesign has contributed a photo to this story.
at 07:49 on September 10th, 2008
My photo is a common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) in its native environment in the Eastern United States. This one is about 24 inched long including its head and tail.
John Finch has contributed a photo to this story.
at 09:12 on September 10th, 2008
We had picked up a friend of my brother's and was on our way back to our house when we spotted the snapping turtle sitting on the side of the road. We watched to see if it was moving, and decided to get home so I could grab my camera, in hopes that the turtle was still there by the time we returned. It was still sitting on the side of the road when we returned, so I decided to take a few photos of it.
My photo is "snapping-turtle-10" since the link thing is hating me at the moment.
at 09:45 on September 10th, 2008
Juvenile common eastern snapping turtle was found on a rural road; it may have been disturbed by nearby logging activity. Its estimated hatch time is summer 2007. This turtle's carapace is slightly over 3" in length. This photo taken August 2008 in western New York rural area.
kjeilers has contributed a photo to this story.
at 10:07 on September 10th, 2008
Hey, all you guys. Hope you like the turtle i caught but i guess you have all seen them before in the USA.
It was a serious shock for me though, never thought they where on the loose in this country.
Doubt he will be seen again for a few years unless they drag the lake which some anglers and conservationists are recommending. Good luck to the fella i say, hope they don't catch him!
at 10:54 on September 10th, 2008
This large snapping turtle was crossing the road just north of Fuquay Varina, NC. I snapped this picture of him while he as cooling off in the roadside ditch.
RhettMc has contributed a photo to this story.
at 11:11 on September 10th, 2008
We live in Southern, New Hampshire in a new neighborhood that is next to some wetlands. My husband, Doug, was doing yardwork one afternoon, and when he approached the corner of a rock wall in our yard, he found this big guy. Whoa! He himself looked like a rock. Doug knew exactly what he was dealing with though. Doug estimates that his shell was about 14 inches. He approached to try to get a closer look, and the snapping turtle hissed and lurched its head, at which point Doug went to get the garden shovel to "relocate" him (not sure why I am calling it a him). He took him out into the wetlands, away from our yard, kids and cats, and let him go. We haven't seen him since -- hope he found his way to wherever he needed to go!!!
bearbun5 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 13:15 on September 10th, 2008
The photo of mine is of a juvenile alligator snapping turtle found in northeastern Oklahoma.
fluzwup has contributed a photo to this story.
at 13:27 on September 10th, 2008
This photo was taken by Brian Gumm of Silver Spring, MD, on a road in the northeast part of the city.
brimadison has contributed a photo to this story.
at 14:10 on September 10th, 2008
This snapper was seen crossing a rural road near Pelican Rapids, in northern Minnesota. He was large and curious, turning around to see us as we moved away. We named him Billy and set up a fund for his college education at famed Snappy University, in Manitoba Canada. Billy said he will miss his family and friends, but will fulfill the promisse of his destiny when he returns covered in academic glory from his studies in turtlology, the study of turtle-type stuffs.
teerlinck has contributed a photo to this story.
at 17:18 on September 10th, 2008
I found this little Snapping Turtle while day on a Sunday Drive. He came out of the woods and when other turtles seem to notice people they turn and leave this little guy seem to just wanted ME TO LEAVE and soon I was on my way.
photo2c has contributed a photo to this story.
at 11:10 on September 11th, 2008
This Picture was Taken around the town of Pacific Missouri.
I love it He looks like hes smiling in this pic
melissa_cvrt has contributed a photo to this story.
at 15:56 on September 11th, 2008
A snapping turtle crossing the road in rural western Pennsylvania. He was arching his back and hissing at me for a while but i think eventually we really bonded with one another.
coryhughespsu has contributed a photo to this story.
at 15:31 on September 13th, 2008
This snapping turtle was just sunning himself as I drove by on my way to a good fishing spot.
cadman47 has contributed a photo to this story.