Yes, It's That Big

Notice how much closer Jeany is to the camera in this shot than this snapping turtle. Now notice how ginormous the turtle is compared to Jeany. This is a snapper from Lake Michigan. When I moved to Illinois I had hoped that the Great Lakes would yield exciting new opportunities to take animal pictures, but there have been a few problems. The major issue is is winter. The second and more disheartening obstacle is that Lake Michigan has been woefully polluted and man has brought in so many invasive species that it really isn't the dynamic ecosystem I had hoped it would be. Still, it is good to see that a turtle this huge can thrive in the lake.