Plainfield PD: Let Cops Handle Amorous Snapping Turtles

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield police are telling residents to leave things to the pros when it comes to snapping turtles. Last week, police said they received numerous calls reporting the reptiles in yards or in the street.

"It's their mating season, they come out of the water lookin' for love," police said on Facebook. "If they are a traffic hazard, call. Let us help them across the road. We don't want you to get hurt."

Snapping turtles may be slow, but they're known for their powerful jaws. They can pose threats to pet dogs and cats and occasionally humans despite being normally fairly docile, according to Creature Control:

The biggest threat posed to humans by snapping turtles is from their potential to bite and scratch during human-turtle interactions. Snappers are usually not aggressive if encountered in the water, but they tend to become belligerent when encountered on land and will hiss when it feels threatened. Under no circumstances should you attempt to pick up a snapping turtle; they have an extremely flexible neck capable of reaching around and biting the hands of the person holding them, even if they are being held by the shell. In fact, snappers can reach their heads all the way to their hind legs to bite. Their jaws are extraordinarily powerful and capable of completely severing a human finger.

In 2017, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources reported that one species, the alligator snapping turtle, was spotted in the state for the first time in 30 years, and state wildlife officials were working to increase the population. The species has been listed as endangered in Illinois since 1999.

The Plainfield Police Department non-emergency number is 815-436-2341.

Check out the Plainfield PD's post on snapping turtles and a YouTube video of a man purposely getting chomped by a small snapping turtle (do NOT try this at home).