The man who appears to be the mild-mannered Island Hotel owner, by night, was recently out on the Suwannee River with FWC staff as they monitored traps set to capture snapping turtles.
The turtles are fresh-water creatures and the reasearch took place several miles north of Fowler`s Bluff. Mesh traps are baited with smelly fish chum and the turtles swim in to have a snack but can`t swim back out. This monster weighed about 100 pounds and according to Bair, "his head was as big as a football and he had bear claws!" He went on to say that this variety of snapping turtle is different from your garden-variety, pond-dwelling snapping turtles because these do not have the long flexible neck that allows them to reach around and take off a finger or two. Not that this big guy didn`t try.
Normally FWC traps and releases about 6 moderate-sized snappers on any given visit to the traps, but this trip, this giant male was the only one they found. After tagging and documenting data, the animals are released back into the water. Bair added that apparently, these snappers like to submerge themselves underwater and wait around with their mouths open for unsuspecting fish to swim by. They have a "worm-like" piece of skin that hangs out their mouths --- well, like a worm --- and judging by the size of this turtle, they are quite successful hunters. | 
