Ecophoto1: Blake Davis

This photo was taken on September 3rd, outside of Lake St. Benedict. I saw the snapping turtle while driving along the Benedictine campus. At first, I thought it was trash or something in the road. When I approached the object with a flashlight It seemed to be a large turtle. When I had got some time, I looked up what type of turtle it was. It was a Chelydra serpentina. These turtles live in any permanent water. These turtles play a major role in the ecosystem of Lake St. Benedict. The Chelydra serpentina eats almost anything from fish, frogs, some small mammals, crawfish, bugs, birds. It can feed in the water and out of the water. They also tend to feed in the mud underwater and scavenge for anything. These turtles are crucial to the food chain in the lake. they keep the population down of many fish and other species in the water. The turtles also mate underwater as well and lay their eggs on land. When I did some research on the turtle from the DNR it said their mating season is almost over and eggs are hatched from September to October. I assume that the turtle was possibly laying its eggs when I saw it since it was night. The turtles lay eggs at night because there is a less of a chance of predators for their eggs. Other animals also prey on the eggs like foxes and coyotes. The Turtle plays an important role as it is high on the food chain but helps regulate many populations. I assume that there are other turtle species at the lake as well.

Done