Snapping turtle and leeches(?) Just took this a couple of minutes ago,near our small pond,don't tell me the nasty things attached to it's shell could actually be leeches? :ack::ack:
Are they spots? There is an endangered spotted turtle here in NC. (we caught one not knowing it was endangered, let her go as soon as we realized) Otherwise, it's probably just a terrapin. DS was obsessed with turtles for years, we still have a red-earred slider as a pet.
Looks like a leech to me. Harmless. We used to fish with them up north. Leathery little fellas and fun to play with. Less creepy than ticks, actually.
That's what my husband told me also,they used to go swimming in a lake in Maine and come out covered in them,sprinkled salt on them to make them fall off :ack:
I'm not so sure,you couldn't see the head on the other two pictures,it did have those webbed looking feet and it snapped at me :lol:
They're really not that bad. It is more like a tiny little suction cup that leaves an abrasion. It isn't like a needle where the stick it in and suck your blood. In fact, you can stick a spare one to your thumbnail while fishing so you don't have to go digging around in the bait bucket when the fish take your bait. Also, if you cut one down the middle (halfway, longways) each of the two new 'heads' will grow back fully.
That just sounds so irresistible,can't wait to try either one :mrgreen: I know they used to use them in medieval as well as modern medicine.
I'm looking at the shell, all aquatic turtles have webbed feet. :cheers: Our red earred slider snaps and is big enough to take a chunk out of you if you aren't careful, trust me, LOL. I just saw a snapping turtle at the end of our road this morning, they are really, REALLY ugly. Love some turtles.......but these.........not so much! ; ) I didn't take that pic, but that is what they look like.
Here is a good website for identifying them: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/projects/herpcons/herps_of_NC/turtles/turtles.html
You're right,that does look ugly! Only weird thing is that if the one I saw is a land turtle where did it pick up those nasty leeches?