Apparently this chonky old bear has been hanging out eating salmon at Stamp Falls Provincial Park near #PortAlberni and I need to go see him! That is the chonkiest looking black bear I have ever seen! #chonk#bear#nature#salmon
@lowqualityfacts#FakeNews. Crocodiles and Alligators have the same number of toes! Why not, Alligators are just crocodiles with more #chonk in their snout?
Today’s #megafauna is #chonkasaurus–the massive common snapping #turtle that became a viral reptile after a pair of YouTubers filmed him chilling on some chains in the #Chicago river. Common snapping turtles typically have shells about 11 inches long, but can grow up to 20 inches. The most massive wild specimen on record weighed 75 lbs–and Chonkasaurus looks like he might be approaching this record!
Chonkasaurus–or #Chonk, for short–has been heralded as a sign of the Chicago River’s increasing cleanliness. Decreasing industry usage and conservation efforts have led to the return of many native species, including snappers like Chonk. When native species return to improved land, it’s important for them to reproduce. Snappers can travel long distances in search of a place to lay their eggs, apparently following the Earth’s magnetic field. Eggs are incubated in sand, and the weather determines how long this incubation lasts: cooler temperatures mean a longer wait until hatching.
While Chonk was spotted basking in the spring sunshine, his species does quite well even in winter. Common snapping turtles do not hibernate, and instead remain active all year long–even under iced-over waterways. Some snappers can go up to 6 months without breathing, absorbing minimal oxygen through their skin, instead.
Common snapping turtles have long claws that they use for digging, and flexible necks that allow them to bend backwards over their shells to bite. Although they are docile in the wild and will usually swim away from humans, they can cause injuries if handled or approached. As Chonk shows us, though, they don’t mind being observed from afar!
Thursday SOTD Thread - July 6, 2023
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