From the Cretaceous
She hails from the era of dinosaurs. Her gender was determined by the average temperature where her mother buried her eggs. Sex chromosomes hadn't been invented yet when she evolved. Her journey was doubtless difficult, and the result is far from certain. Most snapping turtle eggs are just a tasty dinner for a hungry skunk or coon. But it might pay off. She might have laid over 60 quarter-dollar-sized eggs, and in 90 days, her young may begin their journey.
Life's true purpose
The first open gravel bed she found was packed too tightly to dig. (Our neighbors called it their driveway). The rocky ledge she crossed just before the meadow is, unbeknownst to her, a mortal danger to her species; the behemoth cars and trucks that pass by on it do not honor her 75 million year priority on that space. But, safely across, she finds what her instinct desires: a nursery at the edge of a sunny meadow.
Fate must be the nanny
We were witness as she dropped over 20 eggs into her nest, then tamped them into the earth with unlikely gentleness. Twice she circled over the nursery, then ... left.
The journey home
She walked slowly, first 8 ft... then a rest... then 4 ft... another rest... then 12, then more... and more... It took her 2 hours to cross the meadow and go back over the ledge. To the wood's edge. On the way home. She followed the border between ledge and greenery for a ways, then turned toward her swamp. Cool mud, refreshing water so near, so far...
Epilogue
In 90 days or so, perhaps her species will gain a little in its clash with all those mammals who live on such a rapid time scale, and are so heedless of any lives but their own.
