Common Snapping Turtle

Great! Thanks for getting the turtle off the road! Road mortality can be very detrimental to turtle populations (and other animal populations too!). If you do have to pick up a snapping turtle, its best to grab on at the lower back portion of the shell (looks like you are doing a nice job of that in the photo) or by the back legs, and then holding the animal away from you and others nearby. Its best to keep everything away from the head area where he snaps! And holding snappers by their long tails can be damaging to their vertebrae. Nice job Maria!

If that is a snapper, you should not be holding it. it can do serious damage if it bites you!