Snapping Turtle

My sister’s dogs began to continually bark at something while they were outside, so she decided to investigate the commotion. She was surprised to find a large Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) next to the backyard fence. It was still nearby when I arrived a short time later, and I managed to get a couple of images without disturbing it. We suspect that this is a female turtle that came into my sister’s yard to lay her eggs. We watched as it walked back to the neighbor’s large pond after resting for awhile.