crabing/turtles id?
 

Hit the barnagat for some crabs this morning with the uncle due to a lovely day of weather. Looked around a couple of my land spots and found a bunch of no ttrespassing signs witch of course didnt please me! Finally ended up at a early season bass spots. Set up shop 6 trap and 8 handlines and right from the get gohand lines were taking off about 9am we had a half bushel traps were catching 6 and 7 at a time with a keeper mixed in. Then the ultimate watching the traps line go pulling down the beach my uncle dives on it i thought blue fish but as he pulls it up we see this turtle. Only him! Now i was wondering a)what kind of turtle? Im prety sure a snapper but is it common for barnagat? I know weve caught them up here in the Raritan but there no real creeks in the area down there

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

Would need picture but could be either a snapping and or more likely diamond back terrapin.

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

B

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

Definite diamond back.

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

Inquiring minds want to know- those markings should be a dead giveaway , but I don't recognize it as any common nj turtle- would love to know, my only guess it's one unusually clean and marked common snapper

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

Diamond Back Terrapin x2

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

I was going to say diamond back but I don't see the layering on the shell, the head and skin really look like one but I never saw a shell like that... Maybe the pic...- crab and tortoise soup?

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

Go over to the south side of island beach state park, near the restricted area and you can see all that you want ( see their head out of water that is- we kayak around and they are everywhere)
Some good studies have been done on them by the kids at MATES

Re: crabing/turtles id?
 

Thanks guys! The shell was super smooth and the under side was a extremely clean white couldn't get a pict didn't realy wana mess around to much with him he wasnt the most patient turtle.