Throw some corn and carrots in the skimmer and we got soup!

[bmann71]

I've seen a couple discussions on this forum about odd things found in pools. Here's another one(s). My son went outside last night and found one of these in the driveway. We went outside and he found another one. We started looking around the yard for more. My wife decided to check the pool. We have a PVC fence around the pool and with these being so small I didn't think they could make their way into the pool. Guess I was wrong.

15 snapping turtles!! All about size of a half dollar. Didn't test their biting strength but one sure wanted to show me his.

[attachment=1:39aanqx0]turtle1.jpg[/attachment:39aanqx0]

[attachment=0:39aanqx0]turtle2.jpg[/attachment:39aanqx0]

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Throw some corn and carrots in the skimmer and we got so

Amazing! The forum has reports of lot's of different "critters" but that is certainly unique. Do you have a body of water nearby?

 

[bmann71]

Re: Throw some corn and carrots in the skimmer and we got so

Dave, I have a small 1/4 acre pond about 100-200 yards from my pool and I saw a rather large snapper in there a year or so ago. Not sure how snappers lay eggs (i.e. do they leave the water and bury them far away from water/pond?) Seems to me they would make their way back to the pond but it appears she walked closer to the house to bury them thus them finding my pool before the pond.

I put them in a bucket and took them to a small creek about 2-3 miles from my house. Don't mind one or two in my pond but 15 is a bit much!

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Throw some corn and carrots in the skimmer and we got so

I'm not real sure but my impression is most all turtles bury their eggs on dry land. Snappers are really elusive and most people don't even realize they have them. I try to keep them out of my pond because we hatch out so many baby wood ducks each Spring.....a snapper snack for sure.

About the biggest one I have seen close to home has been around 10-15 lbs. I saw one down near the coast (crossing the highway) several years ago that had to be close to thirty pounds. Usually, I can pick them up and take them far away from my place but I didn't mess with that one.

I have a pretty big colony of 30+ "pond turtles" that live in my pond (1.5 acres). I think they are beneficial cleaning up whatever they can find (I have never found a dead fish....they get 'em first) and their population seems to be self regulating after a while. That's all conjecture but they seem to fit into the "ecosystem" just fine.