Comments on: Turtle Days 2011 Celebrates “Beast of Busco”

By: jayman

jayman — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:03:16 +0000

I wonder if this could have been an alligator snapping turtle, which can grow to an enormous size. Churubusco is outside the alligator snapper’s natural range, but it could have been a member of a remnant population or been introduced in the lake.

By: Carumba

Carumba — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:35:04 +0000

Snappers are amazingly intelligent in spite of looking prehistoric and being so strong. They are a great artistic and fun basis for a festival. Saw a huge one in Ohio farm country actually playing in a creek, just splashing away and having a good time like a child. The pads of its feet were pink. Husband tried to save them when they would migrate, moved them out of the 55 mph road to a nearby lake and even removed leaches off them. He got a little careless one time, had the turtle by the tail, and they can stretch their necks farther than you think, snap at lightning speed, plus they can jump about a foot when lurching forward. Almost got my husband in a bad spot which would have raised his voice a bit…

By: coelacanth1938

coelacanth1938 — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:14:49 +0000

Sounds like a future roadtrip for me.

By: springheeledjack

springheeledjack — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:45:56 +0000

I remember reading about this one, another one of those Fortean things that lasted for a span of time and then went its merry way into the analogs for interesting crypto-folklore and Forteana.

Nice to know they have a festival though.

By: mungofoot

mungofoot — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:31:38 +0000

Redrose999 I should have known if anyone besides me had ever seen that movie they would be found here !!! thanks for letting me know I am not the only one

By: JMonkey

JMonkey — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:58:24 +0000

I love the last part. They always had to put in “No snapping turtles” for our local turtle race when I was a kid. There is one in every crowd you know, and it’s usually me.

By: Redrose999

Redrose999 — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:53:07 +0000

Gamera?