Ferguson Forest. It looks like such a struggle for these poor animals to walk (in water they are fast and graceful). They heave from side to side, and watching this one, I noticed she'd sit down every 20 feet or so to rest. Her carapace is very dry which suggests she has been out of water awhile, though the day was pretty hot and could have caused her to dry off faster...

Snapping turtles have been listed by COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)as a species of "special concern." Theirlifecycle makes them extremely vulnerable to a decline in population. It can take 20 years for a snapper to mature. Often 100% of their eggs and young are destroyed. People are responsible for the worst abuse of these animals. To me, these ancient looking creatures deserve to live their lives unharmed. People still run them down deliberately, they are still over harvested....