Growing Like a Weed

[guidofatherof5]

He always keeps us busy and we love it. Such an interactive turtle.

[infernalis]

So vibrant and healthy looking, Tank is one lucky turtle.

[NextMorph]

Haha!! The videos are awesome!! I really love the previous video where he climbs up on your lap after. Very cool.

[guidofatherof5]

Tank has a great relationship with everyone in the family. Here's Hailee (age 12) spending some time with Tank.
The second photo is of my Son, Kale (age 16). He laid down on the floor with Tank and Tank decided to find a better place to sit.
The third photo is When Tank climbed up on Kale's lap a few weeks back. Once on his lap he just sat their. He's a very curious turtle. This turtle breaks all the rules when it comes to snapping turtles. I couldn't be happier with his place in my family. He's a perfect fit.

[sweatshirt]

He's grown up so much from the first pic! He's so adorable.

[Mark Taylor]

Great job raising the turtle I mean that.

[guidofatherof5]

Originally Posted by sweatshirt

He's grown up so much from the first pic! He's so adorable.

I have some baby photos of Tank on my snake room fridge. Every time I look at them I get a smile on my face. He really is growing like a weed. He's also becoming more social as he gets older. I'm a blessed man to have him.

[guidofatherof5]

Originally Posted by Mark Taylor

Great job raising the turtle I mean that.

Thank you. He is a very special animal. Certainly a once in a lifetime turtle.

[guidofatherof5]

Originally Posted by infernalis

So vibrant and healthy looking, Tank is one lucky turtle.

I know what you mean Wayne but we feel like we're the lucky ones.

[Amadeus]

That is quite the turtle. =]

[guidofatherof5]

Originally Posted by Amadeus

That is quite the turtle. =]

Thank you.

[rocknhorse76]

Tank is quite an amazing turtle. Every other snapper I've seen has been downright nasty.

[Chu'Wuti]

This is my favorite thread on the entire ssnakess.com system. Thank you so much for continuing to share Tank's life with your family.

[guidofatherof5]

Originally Posted by rocknhorse76

Tank is quite an amazing turtle. Every other snapper I've seen has been downright nasty.

Scared and defensive is more like it. They are, as a rule a very solitude animal. They don't come together in the wild to have friends. Mating is a very violent undertaking. When they do meet in a non-breeding situation they fight over territory. They eat smaller turtle even snappers.
For me to have Tank in this situation is amazing. He wants interaction and is very relaxed around all humans. He also doesn't react to my dogs, who by the way get out of his way when he comes around them.
I see a lot of intelligence in his eyes. I'm just blessed to have him with my family. Every day is an adventure.

[guidofatherof5]

Originally Posted by Chu'Wuti

This is my favorite thread on the entire ssnakess.com system. Thank you so much for continuing to share Tank's life with your family.

Thank you very much. I hope by sharing these adventures with Tank more people will respect and protect these fine animals. I don't think what I've done with Tank is indicative of all snapping turtles. As a rule they don't make good/safe pets. They certainly are not cuddly and can inflict some nasty bites but I think Tank shows that there is more to them then we realize.
I've been bitten by Tank 3 times. All three times it was my fault during feeding. The really cool thing is Tank released me immediately upon biting me. He knew what he had wasn't food. He's a thinking turtle.