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"SNAPPING TURTLE" IN MY BACK YARD. A BIG SNAPPING TURTLE IN LOVETTSVILLE VA.

By
Real Estate Agent with Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate 303829;0225082372

WHO PUT THAT BIG ROCK IN MY BACK YARD?  NO, IT'S SUPER TURTLE!!

Glancing out my back window on Friday made me look twice.  You know the feeling.  You see something and then look away.  However, the brain won't compute.  So, you have to look again, and again.  That's exactly what happened.  Time to grab the camera.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

             Turtle

To get perspective on the size of this turtle, look at it next to the septic access in my back yard which is about 32 inches wide.

             Turtle

What kind of turtle is it?  It's a Snapping Turtle, of course.  How do I know that?  As far as I'm concerned, there are only two kinds of turtles, Snapping Turtles and those that went into the soup.  Snapping Turtles are often found in areas around water and there is a creek that goes through the moat in front of my home as well as a creek that runs down the hill on the left side of the lot, which is where it probably came from.  It was a BIG turtle.  Since I've spent a lot of time on lakes in the area, I see them often, but never one this big.  

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988, E-Mail.

 

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Comments (49)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Diane.  HA!  That turtle looks "cute" only in a photo.

Jun 21, 2009 06:56 AM
Charles Stallions
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services - Pensacola, FL
850-476-4494 - Pensacola, Pace or Gulf Breeze, Fl.

Cool photo Lenn, what is his name or oh nooooooooooo, you didn't, did you? I love you home but I pictured an army around it.

Jun 21, 2009 07:25 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Charles.  Thanks.  It's really a fun house.  The turtle was fun too. 

Jun 21, 2009 07:36 AM
Marilyn Katz
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - Westport, CT
ABR, e-PRO - WestportCTProperties.com

Lenn- I get it..."A River Runs Through It"  Did the county also provide you with a drawbridge?  Better yet - Prince Charming.  Or do you have to kiss a turtle?  Oh wait, that's a frog.

Jun 21, 2009 07:54 AM
Liz Loadholt
Liz Loadholt- AgentOwned Realty- Covering SC - Mount Pleasant, SC
Realtor--Broker-in-charge - Trainer--Relocation Director Covering SC

Lenn --- WOW --- that is a large turtle --- we have a lot of turtles, but have not seen anything like this.  Love your home, too. Thanks for sharing.

Mama Liz's Signature

Jun 21, 2009 07:56 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Marilyn.  IF I COULD HAVE FISH in that moat, I'd love it.  As it is. . . . .  I own the dang thing so I have to keep the weeds in it cut.  I pay taxes on that dang thing 

Liz.  My pleasure.  I love my home.  I don't love my moat.  Of course, it keeps the water from washing out the road.

 

Jun 21, 2009 08:09 AM
Marilyn Katz
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - Westport, CT
ABR, e-PRO - WestportCTProperties.com

Lenn- Doesn't sound fair.  Didn't the county ever hear of Eminent Domain.  You could have gotten some dollars and the county would have been responsible for the weeds.

Jun 21, 2009 08:55 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Marilyn.  I had several options.  However, I had sold my home.  I was living in an apartment in Germantown.  I would have had to sue the county for them to take it.  Probably the builder too.  Not that I didn't think about that.

I wanted my home. 

I love my home.

How many folks have a home with a moat??

Jun 21, 2009 09:12 AM
Marilyn Katz
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - Westport, CT
ABR, e-PRO - WestportCTProperties.com

Lenn- As I started this conversation...Your home is your castle - ENJOY!

Jun 21, 2009 09:16 AM
Don Rogers
Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO
Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

It looks as though Super Turtle is out for a Super Sunday Stroll.

Jun 21, 2009 09:18 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Marilyn.  I surely do.

Don.  HA!  I have a 1.6 acre lot.  He had a long way to go up the back hill.

 

Jun 21, 2009 09:32 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Lenn, he is big enough to saddle up and ride :) :)

You could feed a family of four off that guy for awhile ..... LOL

Jun 21, 2009 10:24 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

George.  I am of the opinion that when they get this big, they can't be killed.

Jun 21, 2009 11:00 AM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

Lenn - Turtles are my favorite animals. I really want to take care of them but it's another chore I have to get to everyday, so I decided to get Mr. Box instead.

Can I show it to you?

I dug a new home for Mr. Box - we call it the dry creek - in my backyard. I love Mr. Box because I dont need to "care" for him.

Jun 21, 2009 11:34 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Loreena.  Whimsy.  I love whimsy.  I'll have to post some of the whimsical things in my yard. 

Jun 21, 2009 11:37 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

LEnn,

i have never seen snapping turtles. There are gophers here, and sea turtles, and I have seen those, but not the snapping one. Looks threatening

Jun 21, 2009 03:30 PM
Carol Culkin
Diamond Partners Inc - Overland Park, KS
Overland Park Residential Real Estate

Lenn - We had many of these snapping turtles while living in my first home which was on a very large pond and DEC protected refuge. Loved the view and the privacy, hated the nuisances. It obviously was not a deterrent - the house sold in less than a week and we made the best % return on investment ever out of 4 other homes we've owned. I wonder if snapping turtles bring good luck!

Jun 21, 2009 04:06 PM
Ann Cummings
RE/MAX Shoreline - NH and Maine - Portsmouth, NH
Portsmouth NH Real Estate Preferrable Agent

Lenn - I just discovered after I read your post that the legislators here in my state found it necessary to pass a law dealing with, of all things, the process of adopting snapping turtles.  I kid you not - there was a brief statement about that in the paper over the weekend.  I did a double-take when I saw that, as I'd read this post earlier in the day.

Who knew there was such a driving need to deal with adopting snapping turtles here in NH???

Ann

Jun 21, 2009 10:15 PM
Anonymous
Michelle Lehman, Century 21 Noel David Realty in Fair Oaks, CA

I've never seen a snapping turtle, he does look mean!  Sure would love to give him to a few of my "favorite" Realtors!   LOL

Jun 24, 2009 06:04 PM
#48
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Jon.  These turtles, many quite large are found near bodies of water all throughout my area.  Since I've spent a lot of time fishing, I've seen many and had many of them "take" the bait.

Carol.  I love living in the country.  The "nuisances", if they are creatures in the wild are not a bother to me.  They are part of the attraction.

Ann.  You make a good point.  Most of these creatures need protection from the humans, not the opposite. 

Michelle.  I didn't test his temperment.

 

Jun 24, 2009 09:49 PM