Carp and Snapping Turtles

     Carp and snapping turtles are large, common creatures that are often visible in warm, built impoundments and sluggish, silted creeks in farmland in the Mid-Atlantic States.  Some people don't care for these adaptable, aquatic critters, for a variety of reasons, but they are an integral part of their watery habitats. 
     Carp are fish and snappers are reptiles, and both these cold-blooded species are the color of the muddy bottoms of their shared environments.  Camouflage helps young carp and snappers grow to maturity because they're not always easily seen by northern water snakes, mink, raccoons, herons, cormorants, kingfishers and other predators.  And large carp are not always noticed by ospreys, bald eagles and great blue herons.  Blending in to their background also helps snapping turtles ambush their prey.
     Closely related to goldfish and koi, and like their domesticated, colorful cousins, carp are originally from Asia.  They were introduced to many American lakes, creeks and rivers as a food fish that grows over two feet long and fights before being landed, giving anglers a thrill.
     Carp grovel for plant and animal edibles in the mud of impoundments, creeks and rivers, stirring up the mud as they push along the bottoms.  But they also consume organic material in mid-stream and from the surfaces of the waters.  They even leap partly out of the water, with a startling splash, to snare flying insects just above the waters' surfaces.        
     Carp spawn late in spring in the Middle Atlantic States.  Several of the larger individuals swim together in the shallows of a lake or creek, with much loud and noticeable thrashing and splashing.  There they spawn thousands of eggs that are fertilized in the water. 
     Snappers are native to much of the Lower 48 States.  I have seen several big snapping turtles on the surfaces of local creeks and ponds over the years.  Usually, one can see only their noses and eyes periscoped above the surface.  But sometimes, one sees snappers sunning themselves on logs or boards fallen into the water.
     Once, I saw a half-grown snapper moving over mud on the bottom of a shallow, clear-water pond.  I had to chuckle when I noticed six bluegill sunfish and a large-mouthed bass swimming close to the turtle in a semi-circle, apparently to study it from a safe distance.  And when the fishes' curiosity was satisfied, with a powerful flick of their tails, they quickly swam out of sight.
     Another time at a different creek, i saw a distressed female mallard quacking frantically.  Then I saw a duckling repeatedly being pulled under water.  And I noticed the bumpy upper shell of a large snapping turtle under the struggling duckling who was finally pulled under and consumed.
     Snappers are carnivorous, ingesting insects, crayfish, little fish and other small critters when young.  And when they are bigger, they eat fish, ducklings, goslings and any other critters they can handle.  
     Snapping turtles' shells can grow up to two feet long and a foot and a half across.  Snappers are the largest turtle in the Mid-Atlantic States.  Their top shells are bumpy and their bottom shells are small for the size of the animal.  They also have big heads and long tails.  And snappers have fierce dispositions and will snap, in self defense, at anything near them that moves.
     Female snapping turtles lay eggs in June.  Then one might see some of them traveling determinely over lawns, fields, roads and other ground to find sand or soft ground where they can dig holes in which to lay their two score or more eggs per female.  Once in a while I see a monstrous female, that looks like a leftover from dinosaur days, on a busy highway where I'm pretty sure she will be killed. But the traffic is so heavy, that it is not safe to rescue her.  I have, however, rescued several female snappers on lesser traveled roads over the years, but not without peril to my arms and legs from their sharp, powerful mouths.
     Striped skunks and raccoons regularly dig up and consume turtle eggs, whenever they find them.  Even these big, predatory turtles have mortality on their eggs and young.
     Though not liked by some people, carp and snappers are intriguing creatures, too.  These tough and adaptable critters help keep farmland waterways and impoundments alive and interesting.