The Sunny Sunday Slider

Well...just when I thought any signs of warm weather had disappeared from fall a beautiful sixty degree Sunday shows up...what is the first thing I decided I better do...rake leaves...sweep the patio...heck no...slap on my waders and head to the retention lakes at JP Morgan Chase! I spent the better part of Sunday afternoon slopping around in the muck looking for Snapping Turtles. Much to my disappointment I didn't see a monster of the mud this day...but I did happen to ambush a beautiful Red Eared Slider.

These turtles frequent ponds and lakes, rivers and some times mucky bogs all across the United States. Unfortunately in most areas these turtles are considered an invasive species, which means that they are only inhabiting certain areas because humans have put them/let them go there. Red Eared Sliders are probably the most common turtle collectors like to call "pets", they are also the most frequently "dumped pets" into near by bodies of water...kind of sad if you think about it. Fortunately for these durable reptiles they usually easily survive and thrive, bad news is that they are usually a red flag for carrying salmonella...a disease that can kill other species of turtles.


Red Eared Sliders can often times be mistaken for either an Eastern or Midland Painted Turtle from far away, as all three species usually have the distinctive bright red markings along the sides of their heads. I knew this was a slider right from the get go... his incredible size gave him away from across the lake.


I had to sneak quietly though the tall reeds surrounding the area he was banked out at...my best shot was simply based upon the fact that he was sunning himself on land, as opposed to a log out in the lake...try getting close to one of these quick reptiles and you will see why they are called sliders...PLOP...right off their perch and POOF...they disappear into the depths of their safe haven.


Long story short, no honestly, about 20 minutes of careful and creepy stalking along the bank of the lake finally got me within striking distance. Than, with a running jump I lept full speed at the turtle...these things are soooo fast...while I was in mid-air Mr. Slider dove from the bank and began to take off into the water. With a "sliding", no pun intended, grasp I managed to wrangle him up before he disappeared...the rest...well that is a history taken in pictures.


He was quite the sport when it came to having his photo taken...we hung out for about 30 minutes...I thanked him for his cooperation...and than set him back into the wild.


What a Sunday!

The Return to Middle Bass Island

After spending about a month capturing footage and looking at the pieces we had of the episode...we decided that The Reptile Crew needed to embark on a second mission to Middle Bass Island. Coyote Peterson, Jasper Applewood, Chip Swaggerty and Roxy Raven Claw made the expedition on the beautiful but windy first weekend of October. With Coyote behind the camera most of the time and Jasper in the spotlight for his FACTS FROM THE FIELD GUIDE segments it made for a very interesting and humoring weekend. The scenery was amazing and the light spectacular...incredible clouds rolled across the lake and provided us with images unlike anything that has ever been seen before. Check out some of the pics here...and visit the fan page on Facebook for a complete portfolio of the weekend.

Friday afternoon magic!


Chip Swaggerty and Coyote Peterson in the trenches.


The Subject of Todays Episode...THE COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE!


Hi...I'm JASPER APPLEWOOD...and this is Facts...From a Field Guide!


Jasper and Coyote...breaking the law!


This image sums it all up...


Poster Test for Promotional Stuffs....

The Last Beast of Summer

This past weekend The Reptile Show crew did a photo shoot for a local magazine called...614 Magazine. Coyote, Jasper, Chip and Zoom meandered out to Blendon Woods Metro Park to shoot the ending cap of the Test Pilot Episode and we took with us 614 reporter Megan Burkholder and photographer Derik Burkholder. They are doing a story on the show and wanted to see a little of the on camera action...while at the same time getting a chance to get their feet wet in reptile wrestling. It has gotten pretty cold, pretty quick here in good ole' Ohio...so our chances at finding beasties was originally looking kind of slim...much to our amazement however...the day was an incredible success! Check out the high lights of the day...


Early on in the expedition Coyote snagged this Midland Painted Turtle from the boggy waters...the small but mighty beast was foraging for delights on the muddy floor of the swamp. Take a look at those claws! Gadzooks and graham cracker stew it looks like he just got back from the salon!


As the adventure continued deeper into the swamp Coyote nabbed the subject of the day...a monster of the murky abyss...the Common Snapping Turtle. This beast was sleeping in the mud and was barely visible...just his head could be seen 2 feet below the surface, the rest of his body buried in thick black mud...its amazing we even saw him. As it turned out the light was just at the right angle and Coyote knew exactly what to look for. Unearthing the beast was the high light of the day and the photo shoot became exactly what we set out for it to be...an incredible success!

Enjoy a few more pictures of this incredible animal...he will probably be the last snapper of the summer.


This Snapping Turtle's carapace, that's the top of the shell...measured 14 inches. The beast weighed about 35 lbs and his temper...ill.


Fitting your hand in this animals mouth...easily done...would that be a good idea? Probably not...that is if you ever want that hand back!


Coyote and the Snapping Turtle singing Jingle Bells together...

As winter quickly approaches here in Ohio these prehistoric looking creatures will bury themselves deep into the muddy waters of swamps, bogs, marshes and ponds as they hibernate the cold winter months away. Coyote, Jasper, Chip, Blasco and Zoom will now wait the winter away and count the days till spring when these incredible reptiles will reemerge from the darkness and return to the adventure.

The Rainbow Rapids Snapper

I have always said that the real skill in catching Snapping Turtles is nothing more than being in the right place at the right time. In the past I have spent countless hours mucking through god awful foulness that only your worst nightmares could conjure...only to find absolutely nothing but leeches. This past weekend happened to be one of those right place right time kind of incidents. While on a fishing trip in Baldwin Michigan, along with Blasco and Chip Swagerty, to rope ourselves some King Salmon...we happened upon a subsidiary waterway on the Pierre Marquette River near an area called Rainbow Rapids. Climbing up a small incline I took a look out across this vast expanse of backed up boggy looking muck and water. The sun was gleaming down through the trees and across the waters surface when what did my eyes spot...oh a dandy of a snapping turtle just basking away in the afternoon warmth.

From my perch I hollered back to the team..."Blasco you crazy son of a walrus...its show time!" "Swagerty...stand by on back up...this beast looks agile and I might need assistance...that bog could be 30 feet deep for all I know!" Quickly my team rushed across a log strewn mess of tangles and thorn bushes to aid my side.


Handing off the still camera to Blasco I barked commands..."document this bastard...the fight is going to be quick...and we need photographic proof of our discovery!" Turning back toward the beast I quickly began to head toward the battle.


I knew this was a risky catch...the turtle was well aware that I was coming...the beast turned his head back and was watching as I battled the knee deep muck...it was almost as if he was saying to himself..."this guy's nuts...there is no way he is coming out here into this goop to mess with me...but alas...I am nuts...little did he know.


As I got about two feet away from the reptile it decided..."oh shit...this crazy bastard is going to catch me...I better head for the deep waters" The turtle began to quickly swim across the muddy surface...I actually had to lung forward, nearly falling into the deep mud just to get a hold on him.


I made it to the creature just in time and nearly lost him as he clawed like crazy against my hands. He was a younger snapper, probably about 15 years old and his claws were fresh and sharp as razors. Immediately he sliced across the top of my right hand digging deep into the flesh...I actually had to completely drop him before this shot because he cut me so good.


The battle back to dry land was not as difficult as some of the beasts I had battled in the past...but the fight was mighty. This medium sized fighter was all claws and jaws...snapping wildly and fighting me the entire time.


When I finally made it back to where Blasco and Chip were watching and documenting I gently set the fighter down on a log to catch my breath and take a better look a the wounds that were strewn across my hands...I was actually fearful that I would need stitches and being about 3 miles out into the middle of no where was going to make a sew up job a little difficult. Not to mention the 45 minute drive back to civilization and the additional 2 hours to the closest hospital! Thankfully the wounds were nothing more than a little neo-sporin and a band aids could handle.


When it was all said and done I washed the beast off in some cleaner water and we got ready to pose for some pictures. This snapping turtle was one of the most colorful of the species that I have ever seen. It was a male and the coloring was incredible...very redish orange...I wondered if perhaps this was a slight variation on the species considering it was river based and so far north.


Here are a few more victory shots of the Rainbow Rapids beauty...after some great photography I put this little beast back to his original sunning spot where he quickly scurried off and buried down in the deep brackish mud. A great catch...completely random...and one of the highlights of the weekend. Nothing like a little Reptile Show interlude to a weekend of fighting monster salmon in the freezing waters out of lake Michigan!

Fan Mail From Penelope James!

Dear Mr. Coyote,

My name is Penelope James and I am 12 years old. I love your show…and I love herpetology and I love reptiles. I love them so much that I named my dog Herpe! My mom said that was a weird name…but she has fake eye brows…I think that’s weird. Do you have a dog? What’s its name?

Well…last week I was trying to catch some frogs in the pond behind my house when Herpe started barking like a crazy head! I ran over to see what the fuss was and he had cornered a dinosaur sized Snapping Turtle. I knew it was a Snapping Turtle because he was snapping…and he was angry.

Sometimes my daddy gets snappy at me because I leave dirty dishes in the sink. But he never gets as snappy as this turtle was. I am pretty sure he wanted to eat Herpe’s nose! It’s a good thing that he didn’t…how else would he smell out reptiles for me!

I was hoping that maybe you could do a show on Snapping Turtles so that other little girls like me could learn what to do if they run into one while catching frogs!
I told my daddy that I was going to write you a letter…he wanted me to tell you that you have loose screws. Our picnic table has some loose screw too! I love that picnic table!

Please catch me the Snappiest Snapping Turtle you can!

Love, your friend,

Penelope James


IN RESPONSE TO PENELOPE JAMES:

Dear Penelope,

Sounds like you had one heck of a crazy encounter with a prehistoric beast! Herpe sounds like a great friend...it is hard these days to find reliable reptile wrangling dogs...you are very lucky! Give that old hound a belly scratch for me!

I do have a dog...her name is Frosty, she is a little dog, but a tough one...she enjoys hiking and running in the yard. She loves reptiles too! Here is a picture!




I am glad that you are into reptiles and amphibians...it is important for children to peel themselves away from the Wii and Xbox and get out into nature to find all of the fantastical creatures that live around us. It is funny that you ran into a snapping turtle...that just happens to be the subject of our first show! Keep your eyes peeled...we are shooting now and should have the episode finished soon.

Good luck catching frogs and be careful around snapping turtles...you don't want to loose a finger!

Thanks for the kind letter,

Coyote

PS...i also think it is weird that your mom has fake eyebrows!

Pilot Episode Filming...GREAT SUCCESS!

Well there has been quite a bit of buzz around the what have yous of THE REPTILE SHOW these past few days...everyone wants to know...how the heck did the pilot shoot go?! We can't give you all of the details...cause if we did...why the heck would you want to watch the pilot...what we can tell you is that the trip was a success unlike any thing I have ever experienced.


We will be making a second trip to the islands in early October to shoot some location and pick up footage...stay tuned for more exciting news!















Here are some pics from the adventure...


Coyote Peterson prepares to explore the lily pad swamp!


Where the Wild Things Are!


Stuart...the baby snapping turtle and soon to be star of THE REPTILE SHOW on the island of all things wild and unexplored...until Coyote, Jasper and Blasco arrived!

Practice Shoot for The Pilot Episode

Well The Reptile Team had a pretty successful practice shoot this past weekend...we didn't catch any big turtles but we nabbed a few other friends. The real purpose of this expedition to The Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio was to try out the new camera and get a feel for the way things will go on Middle Bass Island this weekend. Coyote got down and dirty in the bogs and swamps of wilds while camera man extraoridaire Blasco recorded over an hours worth of set up shots and swamp location test footage.



The weather was pretty lousy at first...real cold temperatures and cloudy from about 9:00 am till around 11:00 am. This made the discovery of any wildlife pretty difficult. However...could have been worse...could have been raining!


Around 11:30 the sun did begin to come out and with it a world of Bull Frogs, Green Frogs, some Painted Turtles and a nice big Eastern Water Snake.



We did manage to get a glimpse of a large Snapping Turtle...but he was way out in a lake in very deep water.



All in all it was a good practice...we are ready for this weekend and hopefully the action will be incredible as we travel to the far regions of the unknown in search for one of the most prehistoric beasts of this day and age...the Snapping Turtle!




Signing off...

The Reptile Crew