It’s not something you’d expect to see coming up from the depths of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, and a pair of kayakers were terrified when they saw this creature with ‘bear-like’ claws surfacing beside them.
Terrifying creature with ‘bear-like’ claws “freaks out” kayakers as it surfaces
A mother and daughter out fishing on the Mississippi River in Minnesota were horrified as some underwater creature with “bear-like” claws emerged from the dark depths and surfaced next to the fishing basket floating next to their kayak.
The huge talon-like nails on the creature’s paws looked like they could cause some serious damage as it latched itself onto the fishing basket, likely seeking out a meal.
As it turns out, the creature can do some serious damage. The prehistoric-looking reptile was identified as a snapping turtle, feared for its powerful bite, LADBible reported.
“Suddenly my daughter said, ‘mom, be quiet, I hear something breathing,'” said 67-year-old mother Shala Holm.
“He dove under the kayak and latched himself onto the fishing basket with his nails.”
“We were so freaked out about the size,” Shala continued. “We were so freaked out about the size.” She estimates the turtle was about 29 inches across.
Terrifying moment attempting to break free from the creature
“I wasn’t sure how I would get him off the basket,” Shala added. “I was nervous about grabbing the handle of the basket, I wasn’t sure how badly he wanted the fish and how aggressive he might be. We’ve all heard stories of snappers snapping a broom stick handle in two.”
Shala pulled the fishing basket free, and they made a hasty retreat.
“My heart was racing but I was able to grab my phone and snap a few pictures,” Shala noted. “I was amazed at the size of his outstretched legs; his feet were the size of my fist and then add those nails!”
About the common snapping turtle
The common snapping turtle is a species of large freshwater turtle that ranges from Canada to Florida. Out of the water, the creatures are combative with fierce dispositions and dangerous because of their highly mobile head and neck and powerful beak-like jaws. They also have claws that are as sharp as those of bears.
Males weigh in excess of 22 pounds on average, but the largest specimen caught in the wild weighed 75 pounds. The carapace, or upper shell, has a length in adulthood of nearly 20 inches, although 18.5 inches is more common.
New giant turtle species discovered “size of a great white shark
Scientists have discovered a new species of giant turtle they say was the size of a great white shark and one of the largest that ever lived, measuring over twelve feet long and weighing roughly two times.
The discovery comes after remains were dug up in the Southern Pyrenees, northeastern Spain, consisting of a fragmented but nearly complete pelvis and parts of the carapace, or upper shell, Yahoo reported.
Researchers say the species of turtle, the largest Marine turtle ever discovered in Europe, roamed the oceans about 80 million years ago. It is second in size only to the Archelon, which lived around the ancient North American continent.
The description of the new species discovery was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
