I remember finding a baby snapper crossing US41. I was stopped at a red left turn and got out to save it before any traffic came along. Took it home and let it go in one of the large ponds at my complex. It was only about the size of a silver dollar. I wonder how it’s doing now.
Actually it’s the other way around. The common snappers are much more cantankerous and prone to biting than their larger Alligator cousins.
Not to blindly support the relocation of animals, but believe me, if it is a golf course with water in a climate that will support them, they’ve got snappers. At our local courses we are occasionally surprised to find large snappers halfway across fairways, or digging nests in sandtraps.
And in my experience, snappers are pretty shy. We used to swim, float, waterski, jetski, fish, etc. in a small (8 acre) private lake. The owner intentionally put snappers in there to cut down the bluegills (don’t ask me - he is the kind of guy who just assumes he can do a better job tan nature!) Well, they thrived, such that you would regularly see toilet-seat sized turtles floating just below the surface. But they seemed to keep a fair distance from the 2 main swimming beaches, and I never heard a single instance of someone being bitten.
I rescued a baby common snapper from the highway, and my daughter kept it as a pet. After about a year, it’s about 3 inches in diameter. It’s a fascinating little animal and very easy to feed.
Boy, that was disappointing. Anyone else assume “I caught the snapping turtle” referred to the kama sutra?
We recently had people bring us a Gopher Tortoise that they had found in their yard. They tried to take him to the pond on the other side of the street but he kept walking away and trying to cross the road so they brought him to us because they were afraid he was going to get run over. I guess we should be grateful that they didn’t try to chuck him out to the middle of the pond “for his own good”. Yes, we did tell them that it is both illegal to mess with Gopher Tortoises and that they are land turtles, not water turtles. We sent him to a wildlife rehabber who will hopefully find him a better location.
This sort of thing actually happens a lot, many people seem to think that all turtles belong in the water. I shudder to think how many Gopher Tortoises might have drowned thanks to well-meaning but ignorant people.
I have rescued and once found too late box turtles that fell into pools.
So what is the best way to move a snapping turtle?
I just went through this a couple weeks ago; now is the time of year that females look for places to lay their eggs and it is not at all unusual to see them trying to (slooowly) cross the road. I was on my way to work and saw one right in the middle of my lane, and a fairly large one to boot. Pretty much all I could do was put my foot under her rear and roll her over to the side of the road, having no other means of moving her. She was not at all happy with me but she was safe. I wasn’t about to try and pick her up. I like my hands and fingers far too much, and they can reach waay back with those long necks of theirs.
(opening myself up to potential charges of animal abuse) - IME the only way to safely move a large snapper is to grab it by its tail. I’ve moved smaller ones by having them chomp onto a stick and then just carrying the stick.
Maybe not.
[my bolding]
I was wishing I had a stick at the time. I’ve heard about the tail thing, but it seems like there would be too much of a chance of injury to the turtle that way (though if I’d left her in the road she probably would have ended up 100% dead). She was too muddy to pick up anyway though - to much chance of slippage and injury to both of us.
ETA now that I see emmaliminal’s comment: She was a pretty big one - I would have had to use a snow shovel to move her (not available in July in NC). I have a friend who volunteers at a rehabilitation facility for sea animals - I was thinking if I had one of boards they use to herd sea lions I could have made good use of it.
Okay, I retract my recommendation.
The damned thing WAS incredibly slippery. Sure didn’t seem to bother it any. Even tho I REALLY dislike snappers and consider them essentially vermin wherever I’ve encountered them, I have no desire to cause any creature unnecessary pain.
Into someone else lake. 
I saw the red eared slider laying and left her alone. Unfortunately I didn’t remember to come back before she hid in the lily pool. Does she lay just once? Is her boyfriend also in the pool, or did he “take a job in the city”?
So, you’re saying you had turtles:
snappin’ and a slidin’
peepin’ and a-hidin’?
And bitin’ and eatin’ that’s the important part.
Do red-eared sliders bite people? or are they just bitin’ on your preferred flora and fauna what they are subsequently eatin’?
I see 'em all over the place but never got close enough to one to get bit.
I doubt it, and certainly without serious consequence. Young ones are carnivorous and older ones omnivorous. I’ve seen the slider in both pools, although I’ve been given to understand that snappers are territorial and may have run her out of the lotus pool.