This Man found, raised, and nurturer a Snapping turtle from the time it was the size of a thumb nail. Now it's a big softy.

[u/Palana]

[u/HonestCoach603]

I would be so nervous to pet under the chin... damn good for this guy, never doubt an animals emotional intelligence

[u/EnnaxorOzzir → u/HonestCoach603]

Unless it's a human, then always doubt its emotional intelligence /s

[u/L00pback → u/EnnaxorOzzir]

I have a Gom Jabbar for that.

[u/[deleted] → u/L00pback]

A snapping turtle caught in a trap will snap off it's own limb to escape... What will you do?

[u/iTalk2Pineapples → u/[deleted]]

Fap, sleep, cry, eat the white pee.

Not necessarily in that order

[u/[deleted] → u/iTalk2Pineapples]

You inherit too much power.

[u/oftheunusual → u/[deleted]]

Goodbye, young human. I hope you live.

[u/chickenstalker → u/[deleted]]

You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that?

[u/ima420r → u/chickenstalker]

​

[u/Rakdos92 → u/chickenstalker]

I'm not going to flip a turtle on its back. Who invented this crap? (I'm aware of the movie, legit wondering what the trick behind this story is. Does it shortcircuit the synths somehow?)

[u/Washoogie_Otis → u/Rakdos92]

That's exactly what you'd expect a skin job to say.

[u/FeedbackSpecific642 → u/Rakdos92]

In the book at least 90% of all life is gone. When the replicants are staying with the person who created them, they find a spider. He is overjoyed to see a real living creature. The replicants are curious as to why it requires 8 legs and decide to remove its legs, one by one to see how it copes. He’s in tears and unable to make them comprehend how awful their actions are.

From this I interpreted the interview questions are designed to elicit an emotional response from humans but replicants are incapable of such a response.

This makes Roy’s rescue of Decker and subsequent final speech touching as it indicates the replicants may have the ability to learn emotion.

Decker running away with a replicant and being a suspected replicant himself shows the replicants are capable of emotions and indeed love.

[u/SobakaZony → u/FeedbackSpecific642]

Spot on.

As FeedbackSpecific642 observes, "in the book at least 90% of all life is gone." Throughout that novel, there are animal replicants as well as human replicants. As animals became scarce, they became concomitantly valuable: owning an animal is seen as a symbol of high status, and buyers, sellers, and traders refer to their "book value" (Deckard carries an analog of the "Kelly Blue Book" with him) when bargaining. However, most animals are far too expensive for most people to afford; thus, an industry of making animal replicants has sprung up to meet the demand. In the novel, the detective has an artificial sheep, and one reason he takes the assignment is to earn enough money to afford a real animal, such as the real horse his neighbor owns. Meanwhile, humans have become scarce, as those healthy enough to leave Earth have done so; the androids (human replicants) were built to assist humans in the off world colonies to which they fled. Not all of that is apparent in the film, but there are at least hints of it (e.g., "if i could afford a real snake, do you think i'd work in a dump like this?" - paraphrasing from memory: i doubt that is the actual quote word for word. The little origami animals another cop [E.J. Olmos] makes in the movie might also be a nod to the "artificial animals" of the novel). The title of the movie's source material is, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" The title refers to Deckard's artificial sheep, his desire to own a real one, and to the question of whether androids would have the same empathy to care for a real animal when so many of them are dying off. Hence the turtle in the Voight Kampff test.

Empathy is a subject of many of Dick's novels and short stories; indeed, Dick seems to count empathy as that which defines humanity: regardless of the entity's form, that being is human if it is empathic, and inhuman if not. The Voight Kampff test is designed to see whether the subject has empathy: if so, it passes for human, if not, then it's an android. Again, as FeedbackSpecific642 explains, Roy's soliloquy and his sparing Deckard's life seem to indicate that the android has developed empathy - which, in the movie, leaves hope for Rachael and Deckard, both.

There maybe some theology going on there, too, as Roy has returned from literally "meeting his maker;" that meeting did not exactly go as planned, but still.

Empathy is further explored in the novel through the religion of Mercerism (entirely absent from the movie), whose followers, increasingly socially isolated as the population shrinks, connect together via the "empathy box," - it's like the internet or online gaming, but it's always the same channel - to share the same experience of a figure who trudges and suffers much like Sisyphus (who, in Greek mythology, was punished by the gods for cheating death twice - you know, the movie could have really used that, with its attention to aging and lifespan and all).

Edit: punctuation.

[u/Necrospire → u/Rakdos92]

It causes an inbuilt response that can be detected from pupil dilation, possibly inbuilt core responses from when the synth was created.

[u/Rakdos92 → u/[deleted]]

Ah. So the fact that I would get increasingly annoyed at the interrogator's insinuation that I would flip a turtle on its back would mark me as human?

[u/John_Bovii → u/L00pback]

Reading dune I get so many references now

[u/WH1PL4SH180 → u/L00pback]

I fucking love that this reference is now making it mainstream ><

[u/danofrhs → u/EnnaxorOzzir]

Also doubt its general intelligence

[u/tatteredshoetassel → u/danofrhs]

It's probably the whole chicken he fed it before turning on the camera

[u/Stupidquestionduh → u/tatteredshoetassel]

Hmmm chicken fed turtle soups.

[u/romeoslow → u/danofrhs]

That also goes for humans.

[u/kitchen_clinton → u/EnnaxorOzzir]

This is so true. I had a worker we hired for a job emotionally sucker punch me this week with his ranting that came out of the blue. I thought he was a normal human being since he smiled and seemed normal. Jokes on me for forgetting some people are psychopaths. He apologized twice but the damage had been done. Apparently, checking their work is a no-no and criticism will not be tolerated. I felt gutted.

[u/vincentninja68 → u/kitchen_clinton]

"Crocodiles are easy, they want to kill you and eat you. People are more difficult, they pretend to be your friend first."

-Steve Irwin

[u/EXCUSE_ME_BEARFUCKER → u/vincentninja68]

I can’t believe I have lived this long, and only read this quote from Steve Irwin for the first time today.

It reads like Mr. Irwin was a hitman.

See ya later, alligator.

[u/Helpmelooklikeyou → u/kitchen_clinton]

Well...? What did they say?

[u/kitchen_clinton → u/Helpmelooklikeyou]

Well, as soon as he saw me he blew up and told his buddies they were leaving. I had made too many complaints about them setting off the CO detectors and their sloppy habits damaging a tree to breaking point. I left immediately and went for a walk. He apologized when I returned and again when they left for the day. I absolutely despise this psychopathic paranoid coward now.

This was all in a loud, bullying type of manner with his body language and face telling me this person had become volatile.

[u/Squirrel_Kng → u/EnnaxorOzzir]

You can turn your back on a man. But Never. Turn your back on a drug. Hunter S. T.

[u/RichardStinks → u/HonestCoach603]

It's like having a tender moment with a great white. I kinda can't believe it. But I wouldn't doubt for a second that the turtle trusts that dude. He totally does.

[u/Moondog4pres → u/RichardStinks]

The worst smell I’ve ever endured was that of a old alligator snapper. God bless this man.

[u/[deleted] → u/Moondog4pres]

Grandfather circumcised me with a snap turtle. Hurt allot.

[u/CG_Ops → u/[deleted]]

What did the pain allot to you?

[u/ButcherPetesMeats → u/CG_Ops]

A half eaten penis

[u/[deleted] → u/Moondog4pres]

Same. I picked one up to move off a road once. No matter how many times I washed my hands, the smell would not go away. Took days for it to fully fade.

[u/Reddnekkid → u/[deleted]]

I think I knew her…

[u/las-vegas-raiders → u/Reddnekkid]

And that's how I met your mom.

[u/Funnyguy17 → u/Moondog4pres]

This one probably doesn't smell a lot, not living in the wild or swampy water.

[u/an0nym0ose → u/HonestCoach603]

Unpopular opinion, but...

...that thing is trained, not loving.

edit: very unpopular opinion it turns out, but that's to be expected. Sure, animals have souls. They experience love. They go to little animal heaven when they die and it's definitely not you projecting emotion onto something that doesn't even have object permanence. I'm turning notifications off, now, on this whole thread, because a man needs sleep.

[u/Wendellwasgod → u/an0nym0ose]

How can you tell the difference?

[u/an0nym0ose → u/Wendellwasgod]

They're reptiles. They're solitary creatures, and a species that predates the concept of civilization and emotion. They don't benefit, evolutionarily speaking, from any sort of 'emotional intelligence.' They do, however, possess a capacity to link "chin scritches" and "food source."

Anthropomorphizing animals is... very human, but so is overeating. Neither is healthy.

[u/Wendellwasgod → u/an0nym0ose]

Predating emotion? Seems like a really bold assertion

[u/an0nym0ose → u/Wendellwasgod]

So is "turtles have feelings," but that doesn't stop you from making it. There are biological reasons that most non-communal reptiles lack different centers in their brains for processing things like attachment, or affection.

I'm aware of Reddit's obnoxious "aNiMaLs R bEtEr ThEn PeEpLe" bias, though, so keep on keepin on.

[u/an0nym0ose → u/[deleted]]

Well far be it from me to argue with mama Boucher lmao

[u/Condomonium → u/[deleted]]

Well mama’s wrooooong again!

[u/Santa_Hates_You → u/Condomonium]

No Colonel Sanders, you’re wrong!

[u/RevolutionaryHead7 → u/an0nym0ose]

Actually, the notion that reptiles are incapable of emotion is not universally accepted and there are studies that suggest the opposite.

Further, the idea that anthropomorphism is bad is viewed by some as human exceptionalism. That is,, emotions are a characteristic that humans share with many other species, rather than our own specific characteristics that we project on them.

If this is a hill you want to die on, go ahead. I'm just saying you sound very confident in your position while the science is not so.

[u/YoMrPoPo → u/RevolutionaryHead7]

Dude turned off his notifications as soon as he got called out lmao

[u/DrMangosteen → u/YoMrPoPo]

He's definitely not a reptile cause he's clearly feeling shame right now

[u/zhibr → u/RevolutionaryHead7]

The emotional capacity of species is a continuum, though. Probably all vertebrates have some kind of feelings (in fact, learning is based partly on feelings), but that doesn't mean that they experience emotions like humans do. The turtle experiences some kind of pleasure from being petted, but to say it feels love is another thing entirely, and IMO legitimately criticized as anthropomorphism.

[u/Dupree878 → u/Wendellwasgod]

Reptiles lack the part of the brain that processes empathy and affection

You can train them to be accustomed to you, but they don’t have a feeling about it

[u/Sandnegus → u/Dupree878]

How do we know their brain doesn't use, or can be conditioned to use, some other parts to process something similar to empathy and affection?

[u/Scrybatog → u/Sandnegus]

They don't because that's as far as it goes.

Also some reptiles prove what you said correct through testing, namely the BTS.

Blue tongue skinks are known to seek out their owners for stimulation even when they are not hungry. Not because they are trained to but because they want to.

Some monitors can show similar behavior, but due to issues with breeding this field has been stifled a bit. Monitors don't like to breed in captivity yet captive bred and hand raising from the moment they break their egg is very important because reptiles aren't domesticated so rewiring their brains to feel safe around humans is something that needs to be done from as early as possible.

Wild caught reptiles are like cats that have been feral, most don't rehabilitate into house cats very well. Wild caught reptiles still have survival and danger baked into their psyche from birth. It's only by captive breeding and hand raising we can negate these instincts.

Most reptiles lack the intelligence required to feel emotions no matter what part of the brain they use. Ambush predating reptiles are especially dumb because evolution decided they don't need to ponder the universe while sitting around waiting for weeks for something to stroll passed their ambush spot. Thinking would just use up calories faster, so most evolved to be particularly stupid. I own a ball python and love her dearly but she is basically a Venus flytrap.

Some scavenger and food seeking reptiles have fairly active and complex brains, like the afore mentioned monitors. Ackie monitors actually live communally and are showing very promising signs of "affection" for their owners.

TLDR: most reptiles don't have the mental capacity (brain wrinkles) to do something complicated like emotions, but not all. BTS and monitors have shown promise of actually giving a fuck about their owners. Get a BTS if you want a reptile that is relatively easy to care for and has a chance at actually enjoying your company.

PS: Get them from a reputable breeder that actually interacts with the babies so they get crucial mental stimuli for being a pet.

[u/Bobyyyyyyyghyh → u/an0nym0ose]

What the heck are you saying? Emotion isn't some nebulous concept, it's a chemical process. That's like saying that the moon predates the laws of physics because when the moon formed humans weren't around to do math yet

[u/an0nym0ose → u/Bobyyyyyyyghyh]

Yeah smartass, it is a chemical process. One that turtles' brains lack the mechanisms to bring about. Hence the fact that emotion, as a capability, came about after turtles, who shared oceans with the fucking dinosaurs.

Start here: https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/42/4/743/659098

[u/Bobyyyyyyyghyh → u/an0nym0ose]

Your source doesn't support your claim at all, the only thing it relatedly touches on is the fact that, in general, reptiles have smaller brains than mammals which "could limit behavioral complexity." That's a far cry from asserting that "turtles' brains lack the capacity for emotion," and even if it did that claim from a single source would be shoddy at best, given the imprecise definition of emotion and our current lack of understanding of the mechanisms within the brain of even a relatively simple organism.

No need to get so snippy with your edit. You again are making unsupported assumptions, and I fail to see how "turtles sharing the seas with fucking dinosaurs" in any way is relevant without further explanation.

[u/[deleted] → u/an0nym0ose]

This is like watching the clueless hippie stoners and nervously quiet nerds argue about shit between classes

[u/an0nym0ose → u/[deleted]]

This is my one hill that I'm willing to die on on this website. Most of the time it's just Reddit having stupid opinions on random shit, but there's hard fucking science behind this goddammit lmfao

[u/craigiest → u/an0nym0ose]

And senior researchers wouldn’t let Jane Goodall describe the obvious emotional expressions of chimpanzees as such when she was a young scientist because “hard science” was certain non-human primates couldn’t experience emotions either. Does this animal love its owner the way humans conceive of love? Probably not. Is it totally comfortable and at ease—an emotional state that can’t be uniquely human—seems probable.

[u/Beautiful-Musk-Ox → u/Bobyyyyyyyghyh]

If you get knocked unconscious your "lizard brain" continues to function and make you breathe and otherwise keep you alive. This part of the brain is right at the stem and is evolutionarily the oldest part of the brain. Human emotions stem from evolutionarily advanced parts of our brains that simply don't exist in reptiles.

After typing that I googled it and will now counter my own statements:

Gilles Laurent, a world-renowned reptile neuroscientist at the Max Planck Institute, published a landmark study in Science with a relatively humble conclusion: The differences between the brains of reptiles and humans seem largely overstated. These findings suggest that MacLean’s theories about the divisions of our brains were off-base. They also raise a provocative question: if MacLean’s theories have held sway for so long, despite numerous detractors, why was such a similarity only discovered now?

The answer, like most others in neuroscience, is largely technological. Laurent’s experiments required a very recent, cutting-edge technology to uncover these similarities

[u/GayActorMikeDougIas → u/Bobyyyyyyyghyh]

Ehh emotion is a complex cognitive interpretation of a chemical process. I don't think you can equate a sensation like pleasure to an abstract emotional concept like happiness. For the latter you'd have to see something higher level like Elephants mourning their dead.

[u/edked → u/an0nym0ose]

I don't actually disagree with most of your comment, but I do think the bit at the end about it being "unhealthy" is deeply silly.

[u/Much_Pay3050 → u/Wendellwasgod]

It’s shell is about 2 degrees more inclined than others

[u/-Hastis- → u/an0nym0ose]

It's just reality. Reptiles are just incapable of affection. That's something only mammals and birds can demonstrate. It might feel sensory pleasure from the pets and feel safe enough to allow the man he learned to tolerate to do it, but that's about it.

[u/corncob32123 → u/-Hastis-]

Theres evidence that shows some reptiles, like iguanas for example, enjoy human contact, things like having their head pet or scratched. Even if thats only because they associate human contact with a pleasurable sensation, how is that association different?

[u/Algonquin_Snodgrass → u/corncob32123]

Only mammals have souls. That means that when reptiles do the same behaviors as humans it’s just pretend. Pretty sure that’s in the Bible. /s

[u/DeceitfulLittleB → u/corncob32123]

Yep it doesn't sound any different than a dog who stays because of shelter, food, and pets. Not sure what point he's trying to make

[u/Sharp-Floor → u/DeceitfulLittleB]

We actually know dogs show the same neurological effects that we do when experiencing affection, by way of medical imaging. It shouldn't be surprising... we made them that way.

[u/Pancheel → u/-Hastis-]

What about fish? Some nurture their fries and some are monogamous!! They can have feelings too.

[u/OppisIsRight → u/Pancheel]

Yup. A famous diver has a relationship with a moray eel that ignored her for years until it finally introduced itself and let her pet it, and now it comes out to see her and gets pets whenever she's by its home. She once wasn't able to visit for 3 years and it still remembered her when she returned.

[u/Practicaltheorist → u/Pancheel]

I too, nurture my fries.

[u/TurrPhennirPhan → u/-Hastis-]

Strictly speaking, if we’re to view reptiles as a monophyletic clade then mammals and birds are reptiles and thus reptiles are capable of these emotions.

[u/brrduck → u/HonestCoach603]

I mean, he's got all his fingers at that age

[u/Intelligent-Wall7272 → u/[deleted]]

The turtle has come a long way

[u/[deleted] → u/Intelligent-Wall7272]

*cum a long way

[u/FutureSkeIeton → u/[deleted]]

Cum a log gay

[u/plolops → u/[deleted]]

I know how to get my turtle to come out of its shell

[u/Quickrunner11 → u/plolops]

Just know that you made a stranger laugh in tears today.

[u/Accurate_Figure_2474]

I think reptiles and amphibians have more emotional intelligence than they’re given credit for. Really neat and special bond this man and turtle have.

[u/the_retrosaur → u/Accurate_Figure_2474]

Absolutely; even alligators / crocodiles carry their young from place to place in their mouths, a common type of nurturing awareness seen in similar behaviors in a number of animals including mammals like dogs and cats.

[u/[deleted] → u/the_retrosaur]

mother nature takes care of animals nurturing their young thru hormones.

once they're done nursing, etc., those animals lose all/any affection towards their offspring.

[u/thetruthhurts34 → u/[deleted]]

“Mother nature” is not so black and white. This is like saying humans lose all affection towards their kids cause they expect them to move out and provide for their self once they’re older enough.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Although It would make evolutionary sense for pack animals to feel some kind of emotional connection as yo keep them together and surviving

[u/Hesaysithurts → u/[deleted]]

You’re absolutely right, but I can’t pass up on the opportunity to post about a very cool exception. These skinks behave a lot like a typical pack-living mammal.

The Solomon Islands skink is one of the few species of reptile that lives in a communal group known as a circulus.[12] The Solomon Islands skink reproduces by viviparous matrotrophy:[note 3] the female provides a placenta for its young, which are born after a gestation period of six to eight months; this is a rare trait among reptiles.[18] The newborn skink is of a large size compared to its mother; the northern Solomon Islands skinks are approximately 29 centimetres (11 in) in length and weigh 80 grams (0.18 lb), whereas the common Solomon Islands skinks are 30 centimetres (12 in) and 175 grams (0.386 lb) when they are born.[3] This reduced size disparity led the former curator of reptiles at the Philadelphia Zoo, Dr. Kevin Wright, to compare it to "a human mother giving birth to a six year–old".[7] Almost all births are single babies but occasionally twins will be born.[7] At least one instance of triplets has occurred according to herpetologist Bert Langerwerf.[9]

The newborn skink will stay within its circulus for six to twelve months during which time it will be protected by not only its parents but other unrelated adult skinks within the group.[8] Around one year of age, sometimes earlier, the juvenile will move off to form a new family group.[7] Individuals have been documented to stay within the group for several births without being expelled, however.[12] Females exhibit fierce protective behavior around the time of birth; this protectiveness of young is a rare occurrence in reptiles but is shorter in duration when compared to the protective behavior exhibited by a typical mammal.[7]

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Islands_skink

[u/TheOven → u/[deleted]]

No, it isn't. We are not the same as a lizard

Nice try Zuckerberg

[u/spin_me_again → u/Accurate_Figure_2474]

But always remember a snapping turtle can take off one of your fingers because it can. Respect their range of motion and their ability to eliminate your digits from your hand in a moment! Seriously kids, don’t screw around with snappers.

[u/HimmicaneDavid → u/[deleted]]

How would a parrot break someone's arm?

[u/digitag → u/HimmicaneDavid]

Baseball bat

[u/RevolutionaryHead7 → u/spin_me_again]

Actually, that's a myth. I just watched a video that proves it's totally ok to put a snapping turtle on your lap and rub your hands all over its face.

[u/TrueTurtleKing → u/Accurate_Figure_2474]

I had a snapping turtle, didn’t know it was snapping when my friend gave it to me as a baby. It grew and it never even attempted to bite me. When I’m washing its 50 gallon tank, it would follow my hand to bother my cleaning. Sometimes I’ll let it walk around my apartment. It was awesome but it got too large and I released it. I won’t forget you, Shredder!

[u/mismatched7 → u/TrueTurtleKing]

Into the wild?

[u/YoungNastyMan415 → u/mismatched7]

No. In the mall.

[u/Bigsloppyjimmyjuice → u/mismatched7]

Nobody tell him

[u/DSDLDK → u/TrueTurtleKing]

Uuh that turtle be so dead if he released it

[u/RealEarth → u/Accurate_Figure_2474]

So because I study animal behavior, I can likely help here. Reptiles and amphibians are kinda under the same boat here, so for future reference for anyone reading, this works for your froggy friends too.

Reptiles do not have really good emotional intelligence and this is due to their lack of certain parts of the brain. A lot of what you see with care in this video in particular and other videos of reptiles "caring" is their need to survive and pass on genes. If you see a video of a mother reptile caring for her children, it's because it wants to pass on their genes. Here, this turtle knows it is fed and given a stable environment with this hairless ape, so it's not going to attack it. Though, if this man was to mess up, that turtle would probably bite. There would be very little hesitation. There is no reasoning with an angry snapping turtle no matter what is caring for it. If it thinks it's gonna be hurt, it will fight.

There is some happy news for those of you that really want reptiles to be seen as animals that are not just instinctual machines that bite everything. Some reptiles and especially many frogs have complex sociality (Burghardt, 2013). This by itself isn't super unique, but it has led to questions relating to frogs having a sense of individuality and are able to learn through experience which in the end could mean many animals in these groups may experience life in a more complex lens than eat and breed.

Sorry it probably isn't the answer you're looking for, but there isn't much research to prove that reptiles are emotional creatures since they just don't have the right parts of the brain.

[u/trelium06 → u/Accurate_Figure_2474]

Not exactly. I’m fairly certain they are literally missing the part of the brain, which mammals have, which allow bonds to form.

[u/Smokapepsi → u/trelium06]

My Mama says that alligators are ornery because they got all them teeth and no toothbrush.

[u/Mandorrisem → u/trelium06]

It depends on the species. there are plenty of social Lizards, Turtles, and crocodilians. Snakes not so much.

[u/Harvestman-man → u/trelium06]

There’s more than one way to build a brain.

There are many types of reptiles (including birds) which form social bonds in the wild.

[u/TheOceanDweller]

And he calls him "Snappy". That is awesome.

Snappy could take a few fingers or a penis off that guy in a snap.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheOceanDweller]

Or a few penises at once

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

In what scenario would several dicks be available for the turtle to snap on??

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I don’t interpret the picture, I just paint it.

[u/mmgoes2col → u/[deleted]]

Do you sell your paintings?

[u/86_TG → u/mmgoes2col]

He's known to sell a snap or two

[u/Nameti → u/86_TG]

penis.

[u/why_yer_vag_so_itchy → u/[deleted]]

Lemon Party Gone Wrong

[u/K-Zoro → u/TheOceanDweller]

“I call the big one Bitey,”

[u/Naryue]

Well he still has his hands so, neat.

[u/ReDeaMer87 → u/Naryue]

How neat is that?!

[u/[deleted] → u/ReDeaMer87]

That's pretty neat!

[u/17934658793495046509 → u/[deleted]]

That's why he was showin us, so he wouldn't be the only one knowin it.

[u/[deleted] → u/17934658793495046509]

You can tell it's a snapping turtle cause of the way it is

[u/Spaghetti-of-Oz → u/[deleted]]

I respect its distance.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

It’s one of the neatest things there is!

[u/FIR3W0RKS → u/Naryue]

Honestly the fact this guy has both his hands, and all his fingers on both hands, is probably the most impressive thing about this whole video. You piss that turtle off once and you will lose a or multiple finger(s) so fast you'll not even remember having them there in the first place.

[u/Hotaru_min → u/FIR3W0RKS]

It looks like he’s missing the tip of his left little finger tho… here’s a screenshot of the hand

[u/Chillinturtles35 → u/Hotaru_min]

Oh shit. Snappy snapped

[u/ThisIsNotKimJongUn]

You couldn't pay me enough to hold that scary fucker, let alone pet it. Their necks are like a foot long. It's up to him if he wants a finger, ear, nose, dick, etc.

[u/Psych0matt → u/ThisIsNotKimJongUn]

Who doesn’t want at least one of each of those?

[u/Majike03 → u/Psych0matt]

Have you seen a turtle dick? You don't want one of those

[u/g-love → u/Majike03]

Speak for yourself pls.

[u/perv_bot → u/ThisIsNotKimJongUn]

There seems to be a lot of concern about dicks being bitten off… what are y’all doing with turtles?

[u/30tpirks]

Anyone who lives near those knows how insane this is.

[u/[deleted] → u/30tpirks]

One time my sister and I visited a friend's place near a river. Part of their field flooded and fish got trapped. We tried to capture them to release them back into the river. At some point we took our shoes off. I was pushing a large fishing net infront of me and lifted what I thought was a rock. It wasn't a rock, but a large enough turtle to take a toe off. We were out of that water real fast.

[u/uprightsalmon → u/[deleted]]

I caught and released many of these growing up. They where mean and snappy at the size of a quarter

[u/Anti-Vaxx-Mom → u/uprightsalmon]

So these mfers are born angry?

[u/The_Epimedic → u/Anti-Vaxx-Mom]

Yeah dude, had 'em in a pond by my house. They're just naturally fuckheads.

[u/[deleted] → u/The_Epimedic]

Yea I saved one crossing the road this summer and that fucker tried to come back the way he came just to bite me

[u/Haveyouseenmynachos → u/[deleted]]

Had the exact same thing about 15 years ago. He was so large other drivers had to help me. We solved the problem by giving him a LOG to bite on as we transported him.

Soon as we set him down, he turned around and snapped at me. I ran like hell.

No thank you.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

HAHAHAHA

[u/FlakeyGurl → u/[deleted]]

I was swimming with my friend in the lake just kinda loafing about in the shallows. I sat on what I thought was a rock but then it started to move and take me with it. It started nipping at my friend and he ran out of the water squealing 😂

I'm a 5'6 white girl and he's a 6'2 black guy. Ah the memory makes me laugh every time. I was laughing at him while calmly walking out of the water myself. (Walking because the turtle bit the tassles on my bikini bottoms which were shiny and metal and untied them a little. Plus it was obvious the turtle was more scared of us and just trying to get away.)

[u/Aggressive_Wash_5908 → u/FlakeyGurl]

Why does it matter that you're white and he's black?

[u/BrideofClippy → u/Aggressive_Wash_5908]

Turtle only attacked him and not her. Clearly a racist turtle.

[u/srdgbychkncsr → u/Aggressive_Wash_5908]

The same reason height was specified I imagine. No reason at all other than to paint a picture.

[u/hotterthanahandjob → u/FlakeyGurl]

I'm a 5'6 white girl and he's a 6'2 black guy.

Oh damn forreal?

[u/[deleted] → u/30tpirks]

I fish a lot and love catfishing. I do not fuck with snapping turtles or softshell turtles. Majority of turtles I really try my hardest to get the hook out and have a pretty good success rate with.

With those 2 species, just nope. If people are wondering why you do not fuck with soft shell turtles, they have a long neck and snap super fast, plus they can get a lot bigger then you will suspect.

[u/TheFiredrake42 → u/[deleted]]

The trick with unhooking soft shells is to pull the neck out a bit, hold the body between your knees, grab the back of their skull with one hand to keep it from retracting, then use the other hand to remove the hook with needle nose pliers.

That, or let the small ones bite the bill of your ball cap, and let them just hang there, refusing to let go, while you again use the needle nose pliers to remove the hook. Then lower the ball cap to the ground and they will run off.

At least, based on my experience.

[u/crazyabe111 → u/TheFiredrake42]

Instructions unclear- dick stuck in turtle.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheFiredrake42]

I will for sure try the ball cap trick, that seems pretty safe. I am way to much of a coward to fuck with the big ones, especially grabbing the neck. I get what you are saying, but that is a little out of my league and comfort.

[u/DiogenesTheHound → u/[deleted]]

Softshell turtles suck. I used to work at a golf course and we would have to move them out of the way of mowers. They’re like snakes in a slippery shell with strong ass legs. Also they’re fast as fuck boyyyy https://youtu.be/6FRzmTY7wrk

[u/GameTime2325 → u/30tpirks]

Nose

[u/KentuckyFriedSemen]

Nope. I have snapping turtles where I live. Fuck that straight to hell. I respect the hell out of them because I’ve seen what they do.

[u/accidental_snot → u/KentuckyFriedSemen]

I saw one eat a crane. I mean I didn't see him swallow it but he launched his head up like a snake striking to grab the bird by the throat. Dove under the water with his feathery snack.

[u/MrDurden32 → u/accidental_snot]

God damn, that's impressive. Those things are solid steel and can lift thousands of pounds!

[u/Obediablo → u/MrDurden32]

Oh you

[u/FIR3W0RKS → u/accidental_snot]

Knowing how sharp these things beaks are I honestly wouldn't be surprised if one of these straight up bit straight through a Cranes neck, decapitating it if it wanted. Probably wouldn't even have to try.

[u/[deleted]]

I’m ok with this just being unique to this individual.

[u/YanLibra66 → u/[deleted]]

Several pet snapping turtles show some deegre of this behavior actually, people underestimate what reptiles are capable to feel

[u/GlitteringSpell5885 → u/YanLibra66]

My best friend has a snapping turtle he removed from a park, it’s been around humans it’s whole life so it’s not afraid of us, he’s never even snapped at anyone’s hand and LOVES when you scratch his back. He’ll push his butt up as high as he can to the point sometimes he slips to just to get those scratchies. If properly socialized, they’re surprisingly docile pets. He feeds his with fish he catches at the same creek the turtle was found at. He took it because the park is in the middle of a suburban town and children and pets play in the creek pretty often

[u/YanLibra66 → u/GlitteringSpell5885]

Sweet, I have a Tegu lizard, full of personality scaly fellas very social reptiles

[u/ranting_chef]

Sort of makes me think of the guy who had a pet hippo. Everything was great until it killed him. But this seems a little safer.

[u/TheSchoeMaker → u/ranting_chef]

Or the bear guy. Didn't end well for him either

[u/redditsgarbageman → u/TheSchoeMaker]

Or the monkey guy, or the tiger guy, etc, etc.

[u/doctormoneycock → u/redditsgarbageman]

“You knew I was a snake, bitch”

[u/reverendjesus → u/doctormoneycock]

Nice F&L and/or First Nations mythology reference

[u/notarandomaccoun → u/ranting_chef]

I wonder how a pet chimpanzee might go....

[u/[deleted] → u/notarandomaccoun]

It goes great at first!

[u/PrintMoneyPayTaxes → u/ranting_chef]

link to this story or video

[u/fostde18 → u/ranting_chef]

I don’t think Jessica the hippo will ever kill the people she’s friends with. That being said they never get in the water with her and she’s not in captivity.

[u/SpecialistSun4847]

Wanna hear something really cool?

It's half grown.

[u/[deleted] → u/SpecialistSun4847]

You got a source on that? I've never seen them larger than this.

Not trying to be a smart ass or anything, but you know, can't believe everything you read on the internet, like Abraham Lincoln always said.

[u/Stag328 → u/[deleted]]

Hear is one at the ABQ Zoo we took while we were there. I believe an aquarium in Tennessee has a really large one.

Edit: This one also seems like it wouldnt fit in your lap.

[u/SeanTheLawn → u/Stag328]

The one in the video is a common snapping turtle, which is different species from the alligator snapping turtles in your pictures. Alligator snapping turtles are usually significantly larger.

[u/Quickrunner11 → u/[deleted]]

No lakes for me either.

[u/VaLivin → u/[deleted]]

Snappin sticks and dicks

[u/SheldonsPooter]

Turtle is gonna get passed down generations in that family

[u/Hot_Negotiation3480]

These guys don’t have very sophisticated brains that allow them to be much more than a flight vs fight responder. Obviously it’s not scared or else it would bite him, but it doesn’t mean it won’t bite him or someone else one day. This pet reminds me of the guy who raised a baby hippo only to eaten by him years later…

[u/Azzylel → u/Hot_Negotiation3480]

Actually, while it is true that reptiles can’t really ‘love’ you like a dog or cat can, they do have a sense of trust still, which is like their version of love. What you’re saying is sort of correct, but I don’t think it gives them enough credit.

[u/TheFiredrake42 → u/Azzylel]

Socialized vs Domesticated. All of my past reptiles were socialized. Well, except for the Tokay. Steve Irwin couldn't have socialized that hellspawn, lol.

But none were ever Domesticated. Not even the Red Tegu, which was the smartest reptile I ever owned or worked with. And I've worked with a LOT.

[u/GuiltyEidolon → u/TheFiredrake42]

Anyone who says they've had a calm, easy going tokay is lying through their teeth.

[u/reverendjesus → u/TheFiredrake42]

Yeah domestication is multigenerational, where they’re ALL very predisposed to being well-socialized with humans. Some individuals of any species are predisposed to being socialized with a good upbringing, even without the domestication; let’s say 1 out of 100 bobcats are capable of being socialized; if you bred each of the 1/100 kitties with each other, that’s the kind of thing that would start down the road to domestication. There’s a Russian experiment where they bred foxes only for temperament, and over a couple generations they began showing neotenic (puppy-like) characteristics into adulthood, as well as other things we associate with domesticated canids, like cute floppy ears, hanging tongue, and speckled coats (they’re insanely expensive or quite frankly I’d have a dozen).

[u/UnfairAd7220]

THAT is crazy.

I was driving to my parents house through a hollow next to a big local pond and there was a big ass snapper in the middle of the road. There wasn't any traffic, so I slowed down and pulled over to push her off the road.
I'm walking out to get it and this kid, coming the other way, locks up his brakes, jumps out, and in a booming voice says 'I'll handle this!' and runs around to the front of the turtle and starts to bend over.

I grabbed my phone and hit 9-1 and hovered my finger over the last 1 and told the kid 'I wouldn't do that if I were you.'
He's getting close, so I YELLED 'I wouldn't do that if I were you!'

So the kid looks up and says 'Why?'

'Snappers can reach around and reach their back legs with their neck extended. You're in her bite zone now.'

'Uhhh...'

So I grabbed a stout stick and pushed her in the direction that she was heading.

The kid learned something and kept all his fingers. Did my good deed for the day.

[u/[deleted]]

Anyone else had to watch it twice to see if dude had all his fingers?

[u/[deleted]]

I’m assuming someone called bullshit to an old man with a lot of free time and a pet snapping turtle on the internet. That’s a straight up fucking loggerhead! That has got to be one of the coolest and unique human-animal bonds I’ve ever seen.

[u/Infamous-njh523 → u/[deleted]]

Do you remember when people wanted to take all sorts of animals on planes and what not? I have to take my support peacock with me. This one guy, think in PA had a support alligator. About 4-5 feet and it would lay on his chest while they watched tv. He would also harness it when they went grocery shopping. The guy wasn’t very successful in getting folks to pet it. It truly looked like they loved each other.

[u/crewchief1949]

Nope. Fuck that. My Uncle lost his pinky finger to a snapping turtle and I got to witness it.

[u/theeurgist]

That man is in mortal danger.

[u/SkyrimWithdrawal]

"Now it's a big softy."

You're not talking about the turtle.

[u/Thedrunner2]

I wonder if other people attempted that if it would be as docile, or only him?

[u/ViaDeity → u/Thedrunner2]

Only one way to find out. It’s science time.

[u/demoman45]

When this fucker has a bad day and accidentally “lashes” out, he takes a hand with it. Never trust a “tamed” wild animal

[u/fuzzytaco420]

If his snap doesn’t get him, the salmonella will. Turtles and most reptiles carry that shit on their skin.

[u/GlitteringSpell5885 → u/fuzzytaco420]

Best friend has a pet snapper, he’s the most docile turtle in the entire property (he breeds animals for a living). Every other turtle runs away or tries to fight you, Snappy (his turtle’s name too) begs for attention and snacks. He loves when you scratch his shell, he’s never shown any aggression or fear towards any human, and he’s a well loved pet that returns that bond as well as any reptile can. However, we still wash our hands after every time we handle him, the same you would raw chicken. I handle raw chicken pretty often, and I’ve never gotten salmonella because I just don’t touch my face and wash my hands. It’s the same with turtles and reptiles.

[u/AvovaDynasty]

Idk, I’d maybe say man takes snapping turtle from wild and holds it captive. Unless it couldn’t be returned to the wild obvs, but found makes it sound like it just got plucked out a pond and kept it as a pet. Doesn’t particularly look like an animal that needed to be rescued, looks pretty healthy.

Step 1 on knowing it’s probs not cared for 100% correctly is he’s forcefully petting a reptile, animals which tend to not appreciate petting as much as mammals and even find it stressful. That and yanking it’s mouth open to make it smile while holdi by it in a position where none of its feet can touch a surface to let it move away. That and the lack of any water/mud/glass around it. This has big, guy knows nothing about animal but keeps it as pet to show off energy. Could see him having lions/tigers in the back garden.

Probs so gentle as it’s got a deficiency, dehydrated skin, cold body temp from not being given opportunity to back, dietary deficiency etc. Guy doesn’t strike me as looking like he’s particularly knowledgeable on the animal, treating it like a cat. Reptiles tend to be much less responsive when they’re lacking something like body heat or a certain vitamin.

[u/Intelligent-Wall7272]

Old Joe's coming up turtles