Thanks for your interest in our blog. Nice to hear of your concern for the turtle.

Actually, snappers are very regular in their breeding, with all gravid females laying eggs within the space of a week or so. This occurs on rainy nights in the spring – here in NY, they lay during the first week in June. In Canada it might be a week or so later, but as far as I know none of our local turtles lay in the fall.

Most of the snappers that I have encountered on land, outside of the breeding season, have been males displaced by larger males, and forced to re-locate. It might be possible that snappers leave their summer homes for alternate hibernation sites – some turtles do that, but I have seen any reports of this behavior in snappers. They are very good at sensing water from far off, so I’m sure the turtle found its way.

Thanks again and please keep me posted on any other sightings,

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Thanks for your interest in our blog.

What you’ve observed is undoubtedly the male sexual organ, known in reptiles as the hemipene, and not a concern unless the turtle is unable to retract it (which is rare). It looks like something that should not be distended from the body, but all turtles possess somewhat unusually shaped organs.

The hemipene is normally everted/extended to allow for internal fertilization of the female during copulation. However, male turtle often evert the hemipene in non-sexual situations, and will do so even before becoming sexually mature. In snappers, I have seen this begin at age 14 months or so. In herps, it seems that the almost any type of stimulation can cause the hemipene to be everted…it often occurs when the turtle is picked up and turned over, or during feeding, or, as you observed, for no apparent reason (well, none that we can imagine!). Frogs grab other individuals in amplexus, the mating embrace, when being fed – there seems to be common “wiring” for stimulation of all types!

One thing to bear in mind is cleanliness and water quality – any time an internal organ is exposed, there is an increased chance of fungal/bacterial/viral attack.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.