(vehicle braking)
(upbeat instrumental music)
- I'm Coyote Peterson.
Have you ever seen a turtle crossing the road?
You stop your car and jump out and you say to yourself,
"How do I help this guy get to the other side?"
Stay tuned, 'cause I'm about to show ya!
(thunderous instrumental music)
(roaring)
- Welcome back, everyone.
Okay, so this is a scenario that we often see in the spring:
a turtle crossing the road.
And in this instance,
it's a large female common snapping turtle.
What I'm gonna show you today
is how to properly move a turtle across the road.
Now, this pertains to any species of turtle.
I've chosen a snapping turtle,
'cause as we know, it's my favorite,
and this is also the most dangerous turtle
that you can ever come across.
Now, I do have to disclaimer, if you see a snapping turtle
out there in the wild, do not try to pick it up
unless it's an absolute must-do scenario.
And if it's in the middle of a busy road,
that is one of those rare cases where I would say,
"If you're gonna be a good turtle Samaritan,
"this is how you do it."
Alright, you guys ready for me to show you
how to properly pick up a snapping turtle?
- [Voiceover] Before we do, what should we tell people
about if they're getting out of their car on a busy road?
What's the first thing they should do?
- Oh, yes, definitely turn on your hazard lights.
Pull your car to the side of the road,
turn on your hazards, and make sure that everybody knows
that you are getting out of your vehicle.
Safety for yourself first,
and then we worry about the turtle.
Okay, so now I'm gonna show you
how to help a snapping turtle across the road.
Are you ready?
- [Voiceover] Yep, let's do it.
- Okay.
Now, there is a right way and a wrong way
to hold a snapping turtle.
Oftentimes on the internet, you will see people
holding snapping turtles by their tails.
You see it's got this big, long tail here,
and you think to yourself, "Man, that looks like a handle.
"Why don't I pick the turtle up by its tail?"
This is really, really bad, because the tail
is actually connected to the spine,
which runs right down the length of the body,
into the neck, and then into the turtle's head.
If you damage the tail, you damage the spine,
and in turn, you can paralyze the turtle,
ultimately killing it.
Now to hold a snapping turtle properly,
first we need to understand a little bit
about the turtle's anatomy.
The top of the shell is called the carapace,
and the bottom of the shell,
let me pick him up and show it to you there,
is called the plastron.
Now, where the carapace connects to the plastron,
you'll see right here by my finger,
that is the safest place to pick up a snapping turtle.
Put your hands just on the side of the turtle like that.
You can see my fingers are tucked underneath
on the plastron, thumbs on top holding the carapace
so you can balance the turtle.
Gently pick it up just a few inches off the ground
and move it in the same direction
that it was headed across the street.
Now, I recommend placing it five to 10 feet off the road,
just gently like that.
Good luck, sweetie.
Go lay your eggs.
Slowly move back, make sure there's no traffic coming,
get back in your car, and you're good to go.
Now, this turtle is gonna head off in that direction.
Say you look this way and you see a swamp
or a pond or a lake, and you think to yourself,
"Well, there's water over there.
"Shouldn't I put the turtle back in the water?"
The turtle knows exactly what it's doing.
It has made the decision to go this way
because it's likely a female headed to lay her eggs.
Put her back in the pond, and all she's gonna do
is cross the road again.
(splashing)
Hm-mm, don't wanna do that.
(peaceful instrumental music)
Okay, so now you know exactly how to properly pick up
and move a snapping turtle
if you ever have to help one across the road.
I'm Coyote Peterson.
Be brave.
Stay wild.
We'll see ya next week.
(instrumental music)
- [Voiceover] Every time I head out on the water
to search for snapping turtles, I take calculated risks.
And when I leap from a kayak
and submerge myself into the realm of dragons,
I never know what the end result will be.
- And that right there is how you leap from a kayak
and catch yourself a dragon.
Whoo! We are in business.
Alright, buddy.
- [Voiceover] I take risks so that we can all learn
about these incredible animals,
and I have been doing this for many years.
My point is that snapping turtles are potentially dangerous,
and while I have many years of experience,
sometimes even I make mistakes.
What I don't want to happen is for anyone out there
who is watching to ever be bitten by one of these animals.
So I stress, never try to capture or handle
a snapping turtle unless it is absolutely necessary.
If you enjoyed this turtle encounter, make sure to go back
and watch the first season of Dragon Tails.
And don't forget: subscribe to join me and the crew
on our next wild adventure.
(ominous music)
(howling)
(chirping)