Why did the turtle try to cross the road? - Photos by Bob Kelly

This turtle, a common snapping turtle, was observed in the middle of a very busy asphalt road, in a most precarious spot!  I was out taking photos of him, and a farmer who was mowing grass came over and we decided we should move him off the road before he became road kill!  

 His shell was about as big as a basketball, and he looked rather fierce, and did not want to cooperate.  By moving him with our feet he slowly edged off the road and into the grass, and once out of danger I tried for some close up shots.  The closer I got, the uglier he became, but I am sure its mother loved him!  After the photo shoot, he slowly turned and crawled into some tall grass and disappeared into a corn field.  

 He was indeed capable of snapping one very firmly maybe to the point of taking off a poorly placed finger!  I am not sure why this turtle tried to cross the road, but I do think our collective efforts saved his life, at least on this particular day!