2016 was the summer of the snapper, as a sometimes elusive resident of Lake Chocorua came out of hiding to explore the shore and make some dockside visits. Reference to “the” snapping turtle has been the tradition for many years, but the number of sightings this summer may have put that to rest. No interactions have resulted in bites, and the presence of this predator, who is believed to have coexisted with dinosaurs, hasn’t scared the loons away.
Can you identify these wooly beasts? On the left, a colony of aphids attach themselves to an alder tree, their sticky white hairs acting as a deterrent to predators. On the right, a toothy fungus encouraged by wetter weather grows in the cleft of bark. Lynne Flaccus posted these to the CLC Facebook page; see the cover story for more hidden treasures spotted on her explorations in the Chocorua Lake basin. Share your Nature Notes there, too.
Banner: Snapping turtle. Photo: Alex Moot