Marshall Colson (left)  and Mitchell Colson (right) hold the snapping turtle found in the Cameron pool.

Reptile discovered in Cameron Pool

 

Steve Garr, Cameron Park and Maintenance Coordinator, was going about his job conducting routine maintenance at the Cameron Aquatic Center on the morning of Thursday, June 16. He was checking water levels and cleaning pool filters when something caught his eye.

 

Noticing an unusual dark object in the deep end, Garr proceeded to the area of interest. Curious, he examined the item and noticed the large pointed head, long thick tail, and small lower shell. The clues suggested to Garr that he was staring straight into the eyes of a Chelydra serpentina, also known as a snapping turtle.

 

The average snapping turtle ranges from 8 to 14 inches long and weighs 10-35 pounds. The beast that Garr discovered was nearly 12 inches long, and had a facial expression that dared anyone to weigh him.

 

Realizing that snappers have long necks, strong jaws, and can clamp down with a force of 656.81 Newtons of force, Garr called for back-up. Cameron Park employees Mitchell and Marshall Colson joined Garr to catch and later release the reptile. Mitchell got his Jack Hanna on and waded into the water with his reptile removing equipment, a large shovel. After several minutes, Mitchell scooped the snapper up and placed it on the pool deck.

 

By this time, a couple of lifeguards had entered the premises for work and paused to observe the capture. Garr and Marshall “encouraged” the snapper to enter a large bucket. As you might expect, the big fella wasn't pleased with the prodding, and made several loud hissing and snapping sounds.

 

The whole adventure seemed to be a combination of “Ghostbusters” and “Wildlife Safari”. After some time, the snapper got the hint, and was apprehended by park staff.

 

The Park and Maintenance crew explained that the area surrounding the swimming pool does not have spaces large enough for a critter that size to enter. “We're not certain, but honestly, we're guessing somebody put it in there.”

 

 

 

 

 

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