Turtle gets snappy with officer trying to assist it across busy street
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FORT COLLINS, CO (KCNC) — Why did the turtle cross the road? Police aren’t sure, but they decided to help out when one was spotted in the middle of a busy street in Fort Collins.
It did not appear the turtle was thankful for the effort. It got a little snappy when the officer scooped it up.
“Oh! That scared me to death,” you can hear someone say in a video the department posted on Facebook.
“Officers recently found this slow poke playing a perilous game of frogger on a busy roadway,” officials wrote.
“We’re not sure where he was headed, but our best guess is that he ran out of gas and was looking for a Shell station,” they joked.
“For the safety of passing motorists and the wayward turtle, officers snapped into action. We’re glad to report that this reptile rescue was successful and our new friend Leonardo was removed from harm’s way!”
Colorado is home to four species of aquatic turtles and one land-based turtle, according to the Division of Wildlife. The snapping turtle lives in lakes, ponds, irrigation canals, marshes and rivers — mostly in the eastern half of the state, and mostly above 5,500 feet.
Turtles spend most of their time in the water but like to come on land, especially during breeding season — which is April through November.
“This turtle has strong jaws that can inflict a painful, lacerating bite,” the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website warned.
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