It’s become an annual meeting. I’ve encountered this same female snapping turtle in the exact same place the last three springs. I’m excited to see her – she’s big and beautiful, probably a 16” diameter shell - but I also feel badly. Each time we meet, it’s just as she’s working her way up the steep bank below the dam of the pond that she’s trying to reach. As soon as she sees me, she turns around and slides back into the stream, giving up all the ground she’s gained. Then she lies perfectly still in the water thinking I can no longer see her and waiting for me to leave. I look forward to next year’s meeting – with guilty pleasure.
