I spotted this little guy in the road near Hay Creek as I barreled toward him in my dually crew-cab work truck.  I turned round down the street a ways to see if I actually saw what I thought I saw, then doubled back to find him.  My coworker riding in the truck didn’t see anything, but I was positive and had to prove it to myself.  I pulled off to a side street, waited for traffic to pass, and bolted over to a tiny little spot in the road.

When I say tiny, I wasn’t kidding.  This little guy, yet to be named by my little boys, is pretty small.  As a photography enthusiast I like to think I can pick out details in the world around me, but to spot a quarter-sized lump walking across the road has got to be a new personal best.

I may take another few photos of this little guy and perhaps even let the fellas issue him a name, but then he’s going back to the Hay Creek area to be set free.  I’m no expert in the care of snapping turtles, and he can only get more hazardous to curious little-boy fingers as he grows.  It sure was neat to meet him, though!  Isn’t he cute?

UPDATE:  Snappy the turtle has been returned to Hay Creek from which he came:

My little guy and I waited for the rain to pass and made a dusk voyage out to the east end of town and let the little turtle go.  One could call him Lucky considering that he would likely have been pasted had he remained on East Rosser.  In any case, he’s got a shot at survival now.  He wouldn’t have made a good pet and I try to teach my boys to be responsible with nature, so it was a teachable moment.  After all, Proverbs 12:10 says, “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast…”