Obstinate snapping turtle Happy 4th of July, young snapping turtle, and you'll never know how close you came to losing your independence. . .  permanently. I spotted this snapper on one of our back roads while I was driving up to a lake we frequent on hot days like today. Given his direction, I imagine it—I can't sex snapping turtles—was trying to travel from the woods to a wetland. Whatever their destination, all too frequently, they don't make road crossings successfully. Like skunks, they haven't learned that they're no match for cars. I, however, was, and when I found this youngster, who was about nine inches long and probably a few years old, I stopped traffic, scooped it up with the insect net I always carry in the car, and brought the reptile to safety. No thank you necessary.