Sandcastle Contest There were three awesome sandcastles and some ferocious sea creatures. Ist Place went to Abel and Adam Wiener-Bellows for their castle, complete with an aqueduct, and a bench in the garden for lovers. Other creators were Ari and Arielle, and the Lyons Family, who created the sea creatures and a castle to boot.
Dedication to Tom Dowd On August 29, the Locust Lake Archery Club held a dedication ceremony for Tom Dowd, who passed away in July. Tom was a founding member of the Archery Club and was the current secretary. A plaque was placed in a tiny garden on the Club grounds and the current president of the Archery Cub, Bob Gettis, recounted his service to the club.
Snapping Turtles I don’t know if you have ever seen the snapping turtles that live in Locust Lake. This photo was taken over by the rocks on the north side of Locust Lake. It is not a good idea to get too close though and you never want to take one of these home! Snapping turtles can weigh up to 25 pounds and their shell can be as long as 18 inches. They live a long time; up to 50 years. When they are threatened, instead of pulling their head and legs into their shell-like other turtles, they instead go on the offensive, snapping and biting at the predator. They don’t like to swim much; a lot of the time they reside on the bottom of the lake or river or on the rocks, partly submerged in the water, and wait for a tasty morsel to swim by. When its prey swims by, the turtle grabs it and use its jaws to snap it. They like to eat fish, frogs, and ducks and geese. Due to its wide throat, it can swallow whole fish and baby ducks and geese. They are omnivores, so they also eat plants and sometimes even leeches and water snakes. After mating, the female builds its nest usually between October and April. They are often seen here in May and June, when they leave the water to lay their eggs on the land. The turtle digs in the sand or mud to make a small hole and then lays its eggs inside the hole. A female snapping turtle can lay between 20 and 80 eggs at one time. The baby turtles emerge from the eggs about three months after they are laid. Of the 13 turtle species native to Pennsylvania, only the snapping turtle has a season (July 1-Oct. 31), a daily limit (15) and a possession limit (30). They normally swim away from humans when in the water, but when they are laying their eggs, they are more aggressive. While snapping turtles may not be welcome at many lakes, they display an important role in the lake “clean-up crew” by scavenging dead and decaying organic debris and nuisance aquatic plants.
PAGE 9 | LOCUST LAKE VILLAGER | FALL 2020
