On a sunny afternoon in late July, I spotted this turtle walking slowly across a grassy pond levee. This is a native water turtle called the common snapping turtle. It is our second-largest snapping turtle.

Its smooth shell made it easy to identify as being a common snapper and not the larger alligator snapper.

Please take note of the sharp, pointed beak on both the lower and upper most extensions of this reptile's mouth. Don't antagonize any wild animal that may harm you as it tries to defend itself.

Common snapping turtles are often assumed to be bad for lakes and ponds. In truth they serve to keep your pond healthy by scavenging dead or wounded animals that would otherwise spoil the water.