Photo of the day 6/3/14: Ancient reptile spotted at the Linganore Winery!

Brennan Nolan

The snapping turtle crosses the road at the Linganore Winery. It made it safely to the other side.

by Will Foreman, Community News Editor

When sophomore Brennan Nolan recently went with his family to the Linganore Winery for a peaceful excursion, he did not expect to see a Chelydra s. serpentina. This massive creature, which Nolan estimated to be over a foot long, has the biting power to completely remove a human finger with one snap of the jaws. The beast from the family Chelydridae has a long fossil history; its oldest family ancestor was the mighty Emarginachelys cretacea. 

The soup made from its flesh is considered a  delicacy in cuisines all over the world.

Nolan must have been very relieved to learn that this shelled fiend was none other than the common snapping turtle — a species found all over Maryland.