Nebraskaland

NEBRASKAland December 2015

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/604047

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DECEMBER 2015 • NEBRASKAland 17 PHOTO BY DAN FOGELL A Snapping Turtle for Christmas? By Dan Fogell Before you go shaking your head and saying "this guy's crazy," give this story a chance. How many times have you stumbled across a "lost turtle" in Nebraska? Perhaps one was crossing a road and you stopped to "save" it, or a baby turtle showed up in a very unlikely place leaving you wondering where the heck it came from. Maybe you even considered taking it home as a pet. You would be surprised how often this happens. Box turtles are the most common "rescued" turtles in Nebraska, and I wish I had a dollar for every one that was handed over to me by said rescuers. They have a cuteness about them, and people like to bring them home. But their saviors eventually figure out they make poor captives so they either release them (illegally by the way) or try to get someone else to adopt them. And the fact is that most of Nebraska's native turtles make terrible pets. While I am not condoning or encouraging collecting turtles for pets, I will simply say that if you are tempted to bring home a "rescued" turtle, then there is one exception to the "terrible pet turtle" rule: the snapping turtle. Here's why. First, they are very low maintenance. A container that holds water is an acceptable minimal enclosure, though a nice filtered aquarium is better and will be more aesthetically pleasing in your living room. They eat readily and will feed on food pellets, but they will also eat frozen fish, too. In fact you can train them to take food from tweezers (you could also use your fingers, but they ARE still snapping turtles). After a short time in captivity they will even interact with you and recognize you as their provider. They might even beg for food. Mine gets excited every time I enter the room and expects to be fed. Before bringing one home, I offer a few tips. First and foremost, do research. As with any new pet you should know the basics about what it needs for survival. Second, be sure that you're willing to take care of one for a long time. They can potentially outlive you. Finally, know the laws. Technically to take a snapping turtle from the wild you need a fishing license, and if you decide to release your turtle at any point, it is illegal to release it anywhere other than where it was captured. You might still be shaking your head and thinking I'm crazy, but I maintain that snapping turtles are awesome pets … as far as turtles go. Leave the box turtles where they are, and maybe help them across the road. But if you really want to experience the joy of keeping a native Nebraskan turtle, consider the snapper. ■ Send Us Your Trail Cam Photos! John Boitnott captured this trail cam photo of a bobcat and its rabbit dinner near Bruning in Fillmore County. Please submit your trail camera photos by e-mail to: nebtrailcam@gmail.com. Also include any information that will help explain your photo.

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