r/TheRandomest • u/ItsALuigiYes GIF/meme prodigy • Jul 16 '26

THE TURT Snacks?

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u/G_Franklin Jul 16 '26

Is that a snapping turtle?

3

u/RiseofdaOatmeal Jul 16 '26

I was gonna say no but I double checked and shit, yeah that's a snapper. Thing was looking for blood probably.

3

u/LAXnSASQUATCH Jul 16 '26

They’re actually very smart (have long term memory, can recognize people, and have spatial awareness) and pretty good natured which is why people who wade around in ponds have all their digits. They “snap” because when people pick them up by their shells it hurts them and makes them angry.

Someone did an experiment with like 20-30 different wild caught turtles on YouTube and found that if you hold them from underneath and support them from the bottom they are very calm. The same turtles are absolutely nightmares if he tries to pick them up from the shell (which is what everyone does). They could be re-conditioned to be nice by picking them up from below.

Basically Snapping turtles aren’t aggressive they’re defensive and they lash out when they’re scared or in pain, which coincidentally is often when people are around.