Snapping Turtles Abound in the Chesapeake
Date Posted: July 22, 2019
Source: Southern Maryland Chronicle

Message From the Captain is a compilation of fishing advice, waterman and weather insights, Chesapeake lore, and ordinary malarkey from the folks who keep their feet wet in the Potomac and St. Mary’s rivers.

In the video are Common Snappers, once a freshwater snapper, but found increasingly in brackish water, as attest watermen seeing more of these and Alligator Snappers. The spiky look and name of the Alligator Snapper give it a more intimidating appearance, but for camouflage. The Alligator Snapper’s tongue dances like a worm in its open mouth and lures its prey into its lethal jaws. The Common Snapper hunts its prey. But neither has a good disposition and either could put a real hurtin’ on a perfectly good day.

The lesser-known Chesapeake species is the Snapping Turtle, locally known as Turkles, are a silent and a frequently overlooked species in our ponds and waterways. It’s possible they haven’t been as plentiful as other species, coming more recently to the brackish Chesapeake Bay area. Since 2012, based on a study published by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, freshwater turtles are not merely developing a tolerance for brackish water, but something of a taste for it.

One of the most frequently seen turtles in Maryland is the Eastern Box Turtle, often trekking across a road. If you find yourself compelled, first take some hints here, before helping a turtle cross the road. And as for the snappers noted above, special rules apply.

Read the full story.

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