A snapping turtle chased Tom out here one time. We've spotted several in and around our pond at different times over the years. Snapping turtles aren't cute and slow, like Franklin the Turtle, let me tell you! They can snap off a finger in a... well, a snap! Wikipedia even uses the term "vicious" to describe them.
And we have a whole herd of red crawdads in the little pond. It's not really fair to compare them to snapping turtles, but I'd still hate to get pinched by one of them!
But after hearing what my friend Sandy in Louisiana spotted in her pond this week while she was mowing the grass, I'm grateful snapping turtles and crawdads are the only snappers we have to worry about here!
Take a look at her visitor...
Needless to say, her lawn work came to a halt. She scooted inside to make some phone calls. Gator, the man in the pictures (yes, that's his name!) and his son arrived - "as Cajun as they come" - and Gator just "fished that 'gator right out of the water, then held him down with his foot." Turns out the alligator was "only" four feet long - he looked a lot bigger to her in the water!
Personally, I think four feet of alligator is plenty to be concerned about!
This might be the only 'gator she's found in her pond after 14 years in Louisiana, but she's keeping Gator's phone number handy...little 'gator's Mama might come looking for him!
"Bad 'gator! You behave around this lady, ya hear?" Who knew slapping a 'gator's belly would quiet it down? (I hope this is information I never need to put into practice!)
For those of you concerned about the 'gator's safety and well-being, he'll be released again... far, far away from Sandy's house, to her relief!
