Wheeler High snapper 2

I was trekking across the athletic fields at our local high school when I saw what, at a distance, looked like a log on the grass. But the closer I got, the more certain I was that the dark object was definitely not wooden. The medium-sized female Snapping Turtle, at least a ten pounder, had emerged from the nearby swamp and dug a sizable nest in the grass. She was too busy laying eggs to pay much attention to me. It's definitely time for snappers to haul up on land and deposit the next generation in the sandy soil. With any luck, all this concentration will bear fruit and not attract the attention of egg predators, such as skunks, raccoons, and foxes.

Wheeler High snapper

I watched the ancient ritual for a few minutes and then let her get back to her vital work. By nightfall, she'd be finished and back in the water.