[NatureNS] Large Snapping Turtle/Grahams Grove/Dartmouth

From: "Dusan Soudek" <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <686277.56671.qm@web37908.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2011 20:39:45 -0300
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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Hi Gayle et al,
   the level of lakes Banook and Micmac are lowered for the winter by =
Halifax Water, in order to protect all the seawalls and other shoreline =
structures. I wonder whether this human manipulation gives the =
overwintering turtle(s) some wrong signals.
   But, judging by its large size and assuming that it had not been =
released into Lake Banook by someone, it seems that it managed to adapt =
to the local environment and survive. And possibly even reproduce.
   In the past I've seen some very large snapping turtles along the =
lower Sackville River in Bedford, in some very inhospitable and =
therefore unlikely environments such as the edges of paved parking lots, =
seawalls, and buildings right next to the river.
   Dusan Soudek

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Gayle MacLean=20
  To: naturelist=20
  Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 7:44 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Large Snapping Turtle/Grahams Grove/Dartmouth


        Hi All,

        I was out walking 'Dash' after work around 6ish this evening =
when I met met my neighbour returning from Grahams Grove, here in =
Dartmouth. He reported seeing a large turtle sunning itself on a rock =
along the bank of the left side of the peninsula of the grove. Made my =
way over and met a family who were viewing the turtle from a respectful =
distance, as they knew it was a Snapping Turtle.=20
        This is the first Snapping Turtle I have ever seen and thought =
this location might be unusual for one to occur.
        It was quite large, my estimate would be that its shell was =
about 2 feet in length.=20
        It seemed to be trying to climb up the bank, though very slowly.
        The woman there took several pictures with her Blackberry and =
graciously forwarded them to me.=20
        I will certainly forward the photos to anyone who might like to =
see them.
        In consulting 'Amphibians and Reptiles of Nova Scotia' - John =
Gilhen. it states that these turtles don't usually emerge until May.
        I did think, while viewing it that this seemed very early for it =
to be there and was a little concerned as it seemed to be positioning =
itself to climb up the bank.=20
        Thought about moving it towards the water but felt I should just =
leave it be.

        Sincerely,

        Gayle MacLean
        Dartmouth

      =20

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19019">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>Hi Gayle <EM>et al</EM>,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; the level of lakes Banook and Micmac =
are lowered=20
for the winter by Halifax Water, in order to protect all the seawalls =
and other=20
shoreline structures. I wonder whether this human manipulation gives the =

overwintering turtle(s) some wrong signals.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; But, judging by its large size and =
assuming that=20
it had not&nbsp;been released into Lake Banook by someone, it seems that =
it=20
managed to adapt to the local environment and survive. And possibly even =

reproduce.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; In the past I've seen some very large =
snapping=20
turtles along the lower Sackville River in Bedford,&nbsp;in some very=20
inhospitable and therefore unlikely environments such as&nbsp;the edges =
of paved=20
parking lots, seawalls, and buildings right next to the =
river.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; Dusan Soudek</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dduartess2003@yahoo.ca =
href=3D"mailto:duartess2003@yahoo.ca">Gayle=20
  MacLean</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturelist</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 06, 2011 =
7:44=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Large =
Snapping=20
  Turtle/Grahams Grove/Dartmouth</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <TABLE border=3D0 cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0>
    <TBODY>
    <TR>
      <TD vAlign=3Dtop>
        <DIV>Hi All,</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>I was out walking 'Dash' after work around 6ish this =
evening when I=20
        met&nbsp;met my neighbour returning from Grahams Grove, here in=20
        Dartmouth. He reported seeing a large turtle sunning itself on a =
rock=20
        along the bank of the left side of the peninsula of the grove. =
Made my=20
        way over and met a family who were viewing the turtle&nbsp;from =
a=20
        respectful distance, as they knew it was a Snapping Turtle. =
</DIV>
        <DIV>This is the first Snapping Turtle I have ever seen and =
thought this=20
        location might be unusual for one to occur.</DIV>
        <DIV>It was quite large, my estimate would be that its shell was =
about 2=20
        feet in length. </DIV>
        <DIV>It seemed to be trying to climb up the bank, though very=20
        slowly.</DIV>
        <DIV>The woman there took several pictures with her Blackberry =
and=20
        graciously forwarded them to me. </DIV>
        <DIV>I will certainly forward the photos to anyone who might =
like to see=20
        them.</DIV>
        <DIV>In consulting 'Amphibians and Reptiles of Nova Scotia' - =
John=20
        Gilhen. it states that these turtles don't usually emerge until=20
        May.</DIV>
        <DIV>I did think, while viewing it that this seemed very early =
for it to=20
        be there and was a little concerned as it seemed to be =
positioning=20
        itself to climb up the bank. </DIV>
        <DIV>Thought about moving it towards the water but felt I should =
just=20
        leave it be.</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>Sincerely,</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        <DIV>Gayle MacLean</DIV>
        <DIV>Dartmouth</DIV>
        <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
        =
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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