Baby Snapping Turtle! Need Help!!!

[Tubby0512]

I was riding my bike and saw a baby snapping turtle crossing the road and a guy in the truck was coming. He saw the turtle so he reversed got his tires lined up with the turtle to run him over. I quickly rode my bike in front of the truck so he couldn't run him over. I brought him home. I could tell it was a male but I need to know how to measure the poor little guy. Do you measure the shell from neck to tail or measure from neck to tip of the tail? I have an estimate length scale to an age of a snapping turtle but I just need to know how to measure the shell. So could turtle experts help me here. I owned a snapping turtle before but never knew the correct way to measure one. Just measuring the shell he is about 2 inches but if you measure from neck to tip of tail he is about 4 inches. What is the correct way to measure a snapping turtle?

[blackberry16199]

Ok, so you'll need to not curve a tape measure over the carapace (top shell) but straight from the front end to the back end of the shell.

[Tubby0512]

Okay Thank you!!! I named him Blaze.

[blackberry16199]

Cute! Would you be able to post a pic?

[Tubby0512]

I can try. My camera is shot. I can see if anyone in my house hold has a camera.

[Tubby0512]

Soory ii can not get a picture of him. i would have to use my cousins phone to get a picture on facebook only when he comes home.

[blackberry16199]

Last year, I caught a baby snapping turtle (about 3-4") near a local lake in my area but let it go because it kept trying to snap my finger off!! Well, here it is. It's a bad pic but you can see the vague snapping turtle here's my cousin holding it up for a picture.

[Tubby0512]

Aww cute. I love snapping turtles. Mine didn't try to bite me yet. People around here will see a snapping turtle and kill it on the spot. They are the most understood turtle. People kill them left and right here. They will run the over every chance they get. I was glad I came across him before he faced the same fate as most snappers here. is there a way to guess their age too?

[blackberry16199]

That's terrible. I love all turtles, in fact I've been wanting to get an Indian star tortoise and I might get one in the spring! I also have 4 eastern box turtle eggs in homemade outdoor incubation chamber from a box turtle I caught that laid eggs! I let it go after that but now I Have the eggs.. Are you planning on keeping your snapping turtle? They can get really big so you'll need a VERY big aquatic setup for when it grows up, or if you have a lake in your yard like some people do you can let it live in there. But whatever you're doing with it, they're very interesting turtles; just don't let it bite you!

[blackberry16199]

Age can be determined by looking at the size, though this isn't always reliable. If Blaze is only 2" he's probably from last years generation or maybe even this year's. Also gender can be extremely difficult to tell at such a young age so I'm guessing your going by tail length. Snapping turtles of both genders have very long tails, so you probably won't be able to tell exactly until it gets to breeding size.

[Tubby0512]

I do plan on keeping him. I'm gunna get a 30-40 gallon tank for now until he out grows it. I am well aware not to let him bite you. You may loose a finger or two. I'm going to guess he has to be 1-2 years old because i had two that were the size of a quarter. Well my boyfriend is joining the navy so when he is fully grown, he said that we could take a kennel and make it a good size for him and build a pond for him. And make sure he won't climb or dig out. But he is a little guy for now.