Just the other day, I found an alligator snapper while out herping. Since he was right in the middle of an ATV trail and I heard distant motors, I opted to move him.

I lifted the turtle as my father had taught me, grabbing his tail and carrying him toward a nearby pond. Not five minutes later, my neighbor went roaring past on an ATV, so I was glad that I had acted. I was taking a few measurements of the turtle, so I hadn't left yet. His shell was roughly the size of a dinner plate.

With smaller turtles, I know how to handle them easily, but what about the larger turtles? I've heard since that carrying by the tail can hurt the turtles. That's the LAST thing I want.

In short, what is the best way to handle a snapper without you or the turtle being hurt?


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