All language subtitles for Coyote Peterson Brave the Wild Series 1 Part 1 Legendary Turtle of Texas 1080p

Coyote: There he is!
It's like the loch ness monster.

This is unreal.

Go.

♪

♪

I got him! I got him!

-Right here.
-He's pulling me back!

Coyote:
My name is coyote peterson,

And I've traveled the world

Seeking out the most fascinating
animals on our planet.

Look at that.

No matter the location,

My mission has always
been the same --

To get up close and uncover
the secrets of the creatures

That we often misunderstand,
even worse, fear.

Every animal has a story
and I brave the wild to tell it.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

The very origin of
my fascination with animals

Began with an elusive reptile
known as the snapping turtle.

Look at that dragon,
my goodness.

[ grunts ]

These swamp monsters
captured my attention

From a very young age
and played a crucial role

In honing my ability to
interact with dangerous animals.

From daring leaps after
common snappers

In the murky waters
of ohio's wetlands...

Wow, look at that.

...To heart-racing moments
with alligator snappers

In swamps of the deep south...

Oh, that is a good-size turtle!
Yes!

...These prehistoric-looking
reptiles

Took hold of my imagination
and never let go.

I've caught some big turtles,

But I've always dreamed
of landing the world record.

On this adventure, I'm going
after what could be

The largest living alligator
snapping turtle on the planet.

With a head the size
of a basketball and jaws

Powerful enough to break bones,

This enormous turtle is rumored
to be over 100 years old,

And my mission is to safely
catch and figure out

If this legendary turtle of
texas is a new world record.

♪

♪

My journey began in the small
rural town of newbury, ohio,

Where each and every summer
I spend countless hours

Searching the swamps
for common snapping turtles.

As the years passed,
my adventures became more grand,

And I recognized
that my life's mission

Was to teach the world
about wildlife.

Oh, oh, he's trying to bite me.

Wow, look at that.

Traveling the globe,
I have been lucky enough

To get up close and personal

With many of our planet's
most fascinating creatures,

Yet there's one place
I always come back to,

A protected wetland in central
ohio called thoreau lake.

For more than a decade,

I have been
collecting biometrics

And monitoring the health
of the population of common

Snapping turtles that live
in this body of water,

So it's only fitting
that I return to visit

Some old friends
before heading south

Where I will attempt to land
the legendary turtle of texas.

♪

The technique for catching
a snapping turtle,

I gear myself up with cameras.

I put a gopro on my shoulder.

I'll put a gopro on the kayak

Because I always want to capture
that moment of the catch.

You never know what the next
turtle is going to be,

And the next one could be

A world-record-size
snapping turtle.

All right, here we go.

It's time to catch a turtle.

And the reason I use a kayak

Is because it puts me at
a higher level above the water.

Now if you were to sit and row,

You can sometimes see turtles
moving along the surface,

But if you're standing, which is
a bit of a balancing act,

I can row and then look
straight down into the water,

And on a perfectly sunny day,

You can see straight down
to the bottom

And see those dragons
moving across the mud.

♪

Whoo!

That's a big turtle!

Whoa!

♪

Oh!

Oh!

I lost him!

It's a dangerous challenge,

And if I'm in water
over my head,

I have to be very careful
because if a turtle

That weighs 40 or 50 pounds
latches onto your body

And you start getting
tangled up into plants,

Into weeds, your clothes
fill up with water,

You're gonna sink,
and you're gonna drown,

And I think probably
the worst way to go

Would be death
by snapping turtle,

But it's certainly risk
I'm always willing to take

To get up close
with these animals.

♪

♪

Big turtle! Here we go!
Bringing him up!

Look at that!

That is a huge dragon!

♪

Wow, okay.
We have got our turtle.

I got to get over to shore.

♪

Jeez, that's a big turtle.
Come down.

Okay. Wow.

And that turtle probably
weighs close to 50 pounds.

Now the snapping turtle
gets its name, of course,

From that powerful bite,

And those jaws
are bone-crushing.

If I were to get my fingers
stuck into the mouth

Of that turtle,
there's a good chance

I would not be getting it back.

One distinct feature that
separates this turtle

From other turtle species
is its shell.

Now the top of the shell --
whoa! Watch out for that bite.

Is called the carapace.

You can see just how massive
this turtle truly is

When I set it
in water like that,

But the underside
of the snapping turtle,

Which is called the plastron,
is very distinct.

Do you see how small
the underside of this turtle is?

Their arms and legs are not
capable of being tucked

Into the shell
like other turtle species.

That's why they have developed

These incredibly
defensive traits.

Watch yourself.

I'm bringing the turtle back
down here in front. Okay.

Let me get it back up
on my knee. [ groans ]

That is an absolute dinosaur
right there.

As we know, turtles are no way
related to dinosaurs,

But turtles and their ancestors
have been on the planet

For more than 200 million years,
and you can see

That just the evolutionary state
of this turtle

Has not taken it far
from prehistoric times.

And one of the most terrifying
things about a snapping turtle

Is that if you're
in this environment

And you come across those jaws
and you get caught,

You are alive
when it begins to eat you.

Now the reason that I wanted
to catch a turtle this size was

So that you could
get an idea of

Just how big
these reptiles can grow,

But believe it or not,
the common snapping turtle

Has an even larger cousin.

The alligator snapping turtle

Is the largest freshwater turtle
in north america,

But to catch that species,

We're gonna have to head down
to the swamps of south texas.

They say that everything
is bigger in texas,

And when it comes to their
turtles, they aren't kidding.

The alligator snapping turtle

Is native to
the southeastern united states,

And it's here in the murky
waters of artesian lakes

Where a world record
may be hiding.

♪

Some that have seen
this turtle claim

It's the size of a small car.

Others think it's old enough
to have been alive

During the civil war,

But everyone who has been
witness to this reptile agrees

That it's the biggest turtle
they have ever seen,

Including myself.

In fact,
this is not the first time

I have gone on a mission after
this legend, known as raphael.

Back in 2016, a video of this
gargantuan swamp monster

Circulated online,

And its size and comparison
to an american alligator

Appeared too big to be true.

Oh! Oh!

So alongside wildlife biologist
mario aldecoa,

I headed to the lone star state

To determine if this turtle
was truly

As big as the tall tales
made him out to be.

Rumored to live just below
an easy accessible deck,

It wasn't long before
we spotted him,

And raphael was every bit as big
as the rumors had promised.

But as I prepared my first
attempt at a catch,

Raphael recognized my presence
in the environment,

Disappeared into the depths
and didn't show himself again.

Without a catch, I wasn't
able to collect biometrics,

So I left texas empty-handed

And more determined than ever
to land this living legend.

To help with my efforts, I'll be
teaming up with carl franklin

And viviana ricardez
of texas turtles.

This conservation group

Specializes
in tracking the health

And well-being
of the turtle populations

Here in the lone star state.

What's exciting is that
they have never studied

This specific population
and like me,

Are very interested
in a turtle the size of raphael.

♪

It's down in this water
where we have seen

This legendary turtle
known as raphael.

He could be world-record size.

-He's a very unique turtle --
-mm-hmm.

...And there's a process
for bringing him up.

You knock with your boot
on the ground three times,

And then, for some reason,
these turtles love biscuits.

A single pebble into the water
just like that.

You make a wish?

I always make a wish
when I'm dropping pebbles

Looking for giant turtles.

Did you do the boot?

So that sound resonates
down through this pipe,

And then the turtles know that,
okay,

There's somebody here,
probably with biscuits.

-Fish like it.
-Come on.

You guys are gonna think
I'm crazy.

-Here is a turtle.
-Oh.

Here it comes.

Right here, right here,
right here.

-Here is one now.
-Here he comes.

-Look at that.
-Came right at the pole.

Coyote:
Okay, that is not raphael.

That is another alligator
snapping turtle.

Viviana: But a very big one.

So there are a number
of different

Snapping turtles
in this body of water,

And all the bodies
of water are connected,

Which gives the turtles
the freedom to move

In and out of any one
of these lakes that they choose,

But the four turtles that
they often see here at the dock

Are named famously
after the ninja turtles.

I believe that that one
is leonardo,

Still a big alligator
snapping turtle, right?

Yeah, yeah.

When raphael comes up,

I'm not sure that he can
be caught in a hoop net

Because of how big he is,

And I'm thinking
what I might have to do

Is actually jump from
that lower platform

And be able
to catch the turtle.

Viviana: [ laughs ]

You don't think
that's completely crazy?

-We didn't say that.
-Give it a shot.

-Yeah. [ laughs ]
-well, let's do it.

Coyote: With carl and viviana
onboard with the plan,

We return to our cabin and find
yet another alligator

Snapping turtle swimming just
beneath our lakeside deck.

It's not raphael,
but as you can see,

This is no small turtle.

I'm so tempted to drop into
the water and get the turtle.

Here comes the turtle.

That is, like, an 80-pound
turtle right there.

He's huge, swimming right
underneath the dock here.

I took off my hat, my shirt.

I'm half tempted to just jump in
the water and catch this turtle.

It's only a few feet deep here.

-Watch out, the gator.
-[ speaks indistinctly ]

Right next to us.

I don't see the turtle now.

-Watch out. It's pretty bold.
-Okay. That's...

Coyote: That's about as close as

I think I want to get
to this alligator.

Wow, look at that,
no fear whatsoever.

That's -- I don't want
to get any closer.

He could lunge up
right out of there.

[ hissing ]

If this alligator wasn't here,

I would drop down into the water
and get the turtle.

Whoa!

If this alligator wasn't here,

I would drop down into the water
and get the turtle.

And you can see he's very
interested in me at the moment.

It's not helping for catching
the snapping turtle.

The biological land mines
that we're gonna be

Facing in this location
are exactly this.

Getting into the water
to catch alligator

Snapping turtles
will put me right

In the striking range
of american alligators.

♪

With turtles moving about,

We decide to employ a catch
tactic known as hoop-netting.

This is the safest way to catch
alligator snapping turtles,

And this trap is designed
exactly as it sounds,

A simple series of hoops
woven into a cover of netting.

These traps are considered safe
because when a turtle is caught,

It can easily access
the surface to breathe.

Remember, the well-being
of the turtle

Is our first priority.

When it comes to raphael,
he may be too big for the nets,

But it's worth a shot,

So with a series of them
in place,

All we have to do is wait.

♪

I arrive at the deck
the next morning.

Sunlight spilling
across the water,

I peer down into the abyss,

Hoping to see
the shadow of a giant,

And much to my dismay,

The only parties interested
in my biscuits are the bluegill.

♪

With no signs of the legend
at the deck,

Mario and I check the nets
we set in surrounding lakes,

And it quickly becomes clear

That these waters
are teeming with predators.

♪

Okay, so it's right back
in this corner.

-See the net?
-Yeah.

Okay, so bring us right up
on the left side of the trap.

Okay.

♪

The net's all mangled.

I'm gonna pull
the net up right --

Here we go.
Coming up, coming up.

-Oh!
-There it goes.

There's an alligator
in the trap.

What do you think,
about 5 1/2, 6 feet, right?

Yeah, it's about a 4 1/2,
5-footer.

-Okay.
-I'm gonna let it back down.

Okay.

Oh, he wants to get out.

I think if I get out, just
anchor the boat like this --

Okay.

...I'm gonna untie the net,
see if I can swing it around

And just get him to swim out
the back side of it.

That's...
[ speaks indistinctly ]

♪

So the net is free.

What I'm gonna do
is get to that spot,

Turn the net around

And see if the alligator
will go straight out of it.

Okay.

♪

Is he out? There he goes.

Just like that, he darted
right out the front.

Well, we got
the alligator part down.

Right.

Now we just need
the snapping-turtle part

To go with it.

♪

So while the nets are out,

They're hopefully catching
some huge turtles

And maybe even raphael.

I want to explore
this environment at night

To determine what sort of
prey items are out moving about.

If we can see how healthy
the ecosystem is

Based on the prey,

It will help us determine
why these turtles

Are growing
to such epic proportions.

♪

♪

I heard some movement over here
in the water.

Holy mackerel,
big frog right there.

Oh, there he goes.

Trying to see if I can see him.

I think he's right down
under this clump.

-All right, I'm going for it.
-Yep.

♪

-All right.
-You got it.

-Got it.
-I got him.

He is enormous.

Look at the size of that.

They say that everything
is bigger in texas,

And this bullfrog
definitely proves that.

Frogs are typically looked
at as prey items.

Believe it or not,
a bullfrog of this size

Is actually capable of eating
baby alligator snapping turtles.

Keep in mind when these turtles
come out of the egg,

They're only about the size
of a 50-cent piece,

So a small turtle like that
would actually make

A very scrumptious meal
for a frog of this magnitude.

I'm gonna spin it around

So you can see the back of its
body, beautiful coloration,

Perfectly camouflaged
into the environment,

And all of the muscle
in this frog exists

Right there in those hind limbs,
pure muscle, pure power.

That is one of the biggest
bullfrogs I have ever seen.

Well, if there's one thing
that I can say,

It's that this ecosystem
is incredibly healthy,

And if the frogs
are getting this big,

Just imagine how big
the alligator

Snapping turtles are getting.

All right,
let's let this guy back off

Into the wild
so we can keep hunting.

♪

He even said goodbye.
How cool is that?

♪

This isn't right.
I don't know what this is.

This could be anything,
catfish.

It could be an alien.
Here, I'm gonna catch it.

♪

-I got it.
-Got it?

-I got it!
-Nice!

Look at this! Look at this!
Crazy!

This isn't right.
I don't know what this is.

♪

-Got it?
-I got it!

Look at this! Look at this!
Crazy!

This is an amphiuma,
incredibly hard to hold onto.

Oh, oh, I'm gonna lose it.
Hold on.

There, let it --
just let it slither around.

They can stay out of water.

They can breathe air, absolutely
impossible to hold onto.

Look at that.

It'll be better if I keep it
in the net and just like this.

See if you can get
a good look at it.

This is something that I did
not expect to come across.

These are incredibly rare,

And you very seldom see
these creatures

Because they're so cryptic,

And they stay buried down
in the mud during the day

And only come out
at night to hunt.

Let me see if I can bring
its little nose up for us here.

Now they are capable of giving
a rather painful bite,

So I do want to be careful,
but this is not a venomous,

Not a poisonous species,
and if -- whoa.

As soon as it feels like
it's being handled,

It wants to immediately
bolt off.

Look at all that slime covering
my fingers right now.

You would think this is an eel
or a snake,

But it is in fact an amphibian.

It is a salamander species,
one of the largest salamanders

That you will find here
in the united states.

They do have small,
little vestigial legs.

You see those little,
tiny legs?

And they have little,
tiny eyes up front

That are able to sense light
and the lateral line

That runs down
the entire length of the body

That helps them feel vibrations

And sense chemicals
within the environment.

Finding a bizarre creature
like an amphiuma

Means that this environment

Is incredibly healthy,
pristine environment.

If something like this can
survive here,

And animal that
is very susceptible

To any sort of pollutants
or chemicals in the environment,

It means that all of the animals
that live here

Are thriving beyond belief.

Okay.

Back into the water
with this one.

♪

That's incredible.

You have no idea how rare
that animal is.

For 37 years of exploring,
only the second time

I've ever seen
one of those amphibians.

This swamp is like a wellspring
of species, so cool.

I'm not sure we can do better
than that.

♪

The next day, there are still
no signs of raphael,

So once again,
we set out to check the nets.

♪

♪

Nothing, totally empty.

Stunk.

Nothing in that net.
All right.

Guess there's no turtles
in this cove.

Let's head up this direction,
the furthest trap.

This one is gonna be
the lucky one.

I'm telling you.

♪

There's something in the net.
The net is moving.

♪

Yes, alligator snapping turtle,
look at that!

Sweet!

Wow, it's a heavy turtle,
and look at that.

It actually got into the bait
canister and had itself a meal.

Okay, here, let's do this.
Let me get the net off of here.

Actually just gonna cut that
right off of there.

Okay, I can stand here,
which is good.

And, oh, there it is,
right next to my leg.

Oh, it's starting to move.

Oh, stay, stay, stay.
All right.

I'm just gonna get it up
and onto the kayak.

Oh, I want to get us back in
a controlled situation

Because if that turtle decides
that it's going to

Climb up and out of this kayak,

I'm going into
the deep water with it.

This is gonna be a dangerous
little balancing act.

Okay, stay turtle. Stay.

Okay, let's move quick.
Let's get it to shore.

This is definitely a good turtle
to take a look at.

♪

There it is,

The alligator snapping turtle.

When comparing this reptile
to the common snapping turtle,

There are quite a few
distinct differences,

And the first thing you'll
notice is the size of that head.

This alligator snapping
turtle's head dwarfs the head

Of the 50-pound common snapping
turtle that we saw in ohio,

And one thing that makes them
really distinct

Is the spread of those jaws.

Look how wide this turtle
can open its mouth,

And the first thing
you may notice is

That little wormlike appendage
on the basin of the lower jaw.

Can you see that?

These turtles specialize
in ambush predation,

Which means they will lay
on the basin of a body of water

With their mouth open and wiggle
that tiny wormlike appendage,

Obviously specializing
in eating fish.

Fish eat worms.

A fish sees that tongue,
swims close to those jaws,

And the turtle has a meal.

Pound for pound, it has
one of the most powerful bites

In the reptile kingdom.

A turtle of this size
could easily take off a finger,

So I have to be
as careful as possible.

Look at those front claws,
absolutely massive.

Now they use the claws to move

Themselves through
the environment,

And while they're
primarily ambush predators,

Alligator snapping turtles are
known to sometimes be nomadic,

Moving from spot to spot to look
for a different food source.

When it comes to food,
they're opportunistic.

Fish, frogs, snakes,
even small birds like ducks

And egrets can make fair prey
for a turtle like this.

But the one thing that makes
this turtle very unique

As compared to
its smaller cousin,

The common snapping turtle,

Are those ridges that run down
the length of the carapace.

This is what gives them

The name
alligator snapping turtle

Because it almost looks like
the back of an alligator,

And these actually
have function.

During big hurricanes,
these turtles will wedge

Themselves up underneath logs,

And those ridges
will lock them into place,

So huge changes in water level

And flow will not
even disturb these turtles.

They'll just hunker down,
ride out the storm,

And they continue about hunting

Just like they would
on any average day.

When it comes to
a world record-size turtle,

This one certainly is not
going to break any records.

The largest alligator snapping
turtle that we know of weighed

Just around 250 pounds.

That's a turtle
that was in captivity.

Roughly about 175 is the record
for a wild-caught turtle.

Is this raphael?
Absolutely not.

Raphael is considerably bigger
than what this turtle is.

All right,
let's bring in carl and viviana,

Collect the biometrics,

And then get this turtle
back off into the wild.

♪

I've officially named it
carl jr.

After you, carl.
Why don't you guys walk us

Through exactly what elements
you need for your research?

Well, the basic measurements
on the turtle

And the weight of the animal.
-Of course.

We're also going to microchip
this turtle as well.

-That's right. That's right.
-Right.

I'll be putting in a pit tag,

Or a passive integrated
transponder,

And it has an id number
associated with each pit tag.

And whenever we come back
or other scientists

Come back to check
the population,

You can track growth and health
an assessment on them.

Cool. Okay.
Let's start collecting the data.

For carl and viviana,
collecting biometrics

Is crucial for tracking
the health of a turtle.

First, we measure the length
and width

Of the turtle's carapace,
then width of its head,

And last, it's marked
with a subdermal pit tag.

This unique identification
is the same exact kind of tag

That is used for dogs and cats

And will accurately
allow them to id

This turtle if it is
ever encountered again.

-You want to get in the center?
-Yep.

-Yeah.
-Going up.

Stay.

43.1.

43.1.

Nice. That's good.

That's a very impressive turtle
right there.

So that's it.
We have all the biometrics.

Let's get this one back off
into the lake

And continue searching
for the legend himself.

-All right.
-Sound good?

All right, come on, carl jr.
Back into the lake with you.

♪

Several days have now gone by
and still no sign

Of the legendary turtle
known as raphael.

The hoop nets haven't
caught him,

So it's time
we try a new tactic.

I think maybe what we should do
now is get a camera underwater

And see just what this structure
is like up underneath the dock.

I get a chance for a jump.

I need to know what's down there
before I get in the water.

So this futuristic-looking
device is an underwater drone,

And this is trent,
camera operator and specialist

When it comes
to cameras like this.

What we're gonna do
with this tool

Is actually get it
beneath the surface to see,

First of all, if raphael is
down there and, second of all,

Whether or not there are
obstacles beneath the surface.

The water is dark,
and I can't actually see

More than a couple inches
beneath the surface.

If I'm going to jump
into the water

After this huge turtle,

I want to know what kind
of debris is down there.

So, trent, how deep can
this thing actually go?

This thing can go around
100 meters deep,

Which is way deeper than
we're actually gonna be here,

But with the lights
on the front here,

They'll allow us
to see hopefully

What kind of snapping turtles
we have down there --

Okay.

...And maybe even other
wildlife such as alligators

Or even the softshell turtles,
which also live in this area.

Cool.

Well, there's definitely some
turtles already swimming around,

So I say we get this thing in
the water

And see if we can capture.
-Yeah, definitely.

Let's do it.

Okay, we are rolling.

Yeah. Good, good, good.

That is very dizzying.

Feel like we're going down
and into the abyss.

♪

I see fish.

That's definitely an alligator.

I'm gonna go down
a little bit deeper.

♪

You see the turtle?

Yes, I can see the back
of its carapace.

That is the biggest alligator
snapping turtle I've ever seen.

It's like
the loch ness monster.

This is unreal.

Okay.
Drop just a little bit.

There he is!
There he is!

That's him. That's raphael.

That's got to be raphael.

Okay, try to drop the camera
down a little bit.

I want to try to get an idea
of just how big.

Wow. Okay.
Now I can see its tail.

Drop down a little deeper,
little deeper,

And there's the tail.
Look at that.

He's actually using the tail

To wrap around the side
of the pole.

I don't know that an alligator
snapping turtle

Has ever been seen using
this prehensile nature before,

-Not one of this size.
-Incredible.

Coyote: As hatchlings,
baby snapping turtles

Will use their tail
in a prehensile manner,

Meaning they use it to grab

And balance
on structures underwater,

But this behavior has never
been documented in adults,

And the underwater drone
just captured the first

Documented case of an adult
alligator snapping turtle

Using its tail
in a prehensile manner.

This was a true discovery.

And there's its face.

There's the face right there,
the back of the head.

It's putting its face
right toward the camera.

Oh, he's biting at the camera!

This is crazy.
Look at this behavior.

It's going right at the camera.
There we go.

There we go.
He's dropping down.

He just dropped back
down into the abyss.

Raphael has officially
been spotted.

Wow. Okay. Well, that's it.

Let's bring it back in
and get ready to catch him.

♪

♪

♪

♪

Go.

♪

♪

♪

♪

Go.

♪

♪

You got him?

I got him! I got him!

What do you need?

-You got him.
-I got him!

Holy mackerel, I got him!

♪

♪

Hold on! Hold on!
He's pulling me back!

I got him!
I got to push right here.

Yep.

We need to get me out of here
as fast as possible, though.

All right.
Do you want to go this way?

Cannot get my fingers
in the mouth of that turtle.

-Hold on. Hold on.
-He's fighting me.

I hope please no alligators
come behind me.

[ groans ]

[ breathing heavily ]

-There you go. [ laughs ]
-whoo!

The turtle is on land!

That is the biggest alligator
snapping turtle,

Biggest turtle bar
none that I have ever caught.

Challenge number one
was catching the turtle.

The second part
of the challenge is,

How do you get it into a kayak
to get it

In a controlled setting.
-Okay.

Coyote: The embankment is far
too steep for us

To keep control of the turtle,

And the level of danger
we now face

Is not worth the risk
for ourselves or raphael.

If one of us is bitten,

The bone-crushing power
in his jaws

Could easily remove a hand,

So we carefully hoist
the giant turtle

Onto a kayak and strap him in.

Now the challenge will be
paddling across the lake

To a controlled setting
where we can find out

If he will set
a new world record.

Oftentimes putting a blindfold
over an animal's eyes

Will help keep it calm,

So we're gonna use my bandana
to cover up the turtle's head.

At least somewhere
on the water and moving,

He won't try to
launch off of here.

-Ready?
-Yeah.

Easy, easy.

♪

This is the most crucial point.
All right.

I'm gonna go, try to go
as quick as I can.

This is the most
dangerous part,

Getting the turtle
now over to shore.

He's secured inside
of the kayak.

♪

♪

You could extend the oar.
Extend the oar.

Careful because it gets deep.

-Yep.
-You're gonna sink.

♪

We can't wait.

We're gonna lose
the turtle if we wait.

You could extend the oar.
Extend the oar.

-Careful because it gets deep.
-Yep.

You're gonna sink.
Pull me in.

Pull me in. Pull me in.

Grab it down in front of it.

♪

Yes! We got it. We landed him.

Holy mackerel, we got it.

-We got it.
-Whoo!

Whoo!

The important pieces of
biometrics that we need to pull,

We need to get
the carapace length,

The width, the head width.

We're obviously gonna
get the weight,

And that is the thing
that we are most certainly

Interested in,
and then we are going

To actually place
a microchip into the turtle

So that if it's caught
in the future,

We can identify it.
-Right.

I will get the measurements
if you want to write.

Yep.

So I'm gonna direct you
as to what we need first.

-Okay.
-All right.

So we're gonna do
the max carapace length.

Don't you move.

You're at 68.4.

68.4. Okay.

Let's do the mid-length.
Perfect.

That is at 62.6.

62.6.

Width?

That is at 54.4.

All right.
Now look at that massive head,

So you got to find
the widest point there.

Stay very calm.

-That's it, big boy.
-Yep.

That is at 21.4.

-Wow.
-Wow.

Look at the size
of those front claws.

All right, so next step is,
we're going to microchip it.

Okay, this is gonna be
a risky little maneuver,

So I'm gonna have to tilt
the turtle up to its side

So that mario
can get to the --

-Yeah.
-...Softer underbelly.

All right.

We're gonna bring him
down off of the kayak.

I'm gonna let him just
crawl down very slowly.

There we go.
There's too much going on here.

Okay. All right.

Let's get the kayak
out of the way.

♪

Let me know when you're ready.

All right, yeah.

All right, so this is kind of
like going to the doctor.

You get a little shot.

Just gonna wipe this area
nice and clean.

Be quick about it
because he's crushing me.

♪

Okay. Cool.

-Okay.
-Scan it.

Scan it.

I know, big guy. I know.
It's okay.

-Okay?
-It's okay. Got it.

And there we go.
That's his id number.

All right, I know.

I hate to say, but the hardest
part is to come,

And that is,
we got to weigh him.

Okay, so to weigh this turtle,

We're actually gonna place
it inside of a sling.

We've got a scale that will get
us a calculated specific weight,

But hoisting it up,
it's going to be tough.

♪

Okay, there we go.

♪

Nope.

All right, you're gonna have
to lift him,

And I'll just slide it under.

-Oh, his claw.
-Watch it.

-There you go.
-Oh, jeez.

Watch your hand.
Watch your hand.

Wow, did you hear the power
in that chomp?

-[ laughs ]
-holy cow.

That was like
an alligator bite.

Okay, he is in the sling.

-You grab that side.
-Okay.

Oh, he's ripping it.
He is ripping it.

-We got to work fast, guys.
-Okay.

So the turtle is now
in the sling.

All right,
so we've got ourselves

A heavy-duty scale
right here.

We're gonna put it on,
and we're just gonna tear it.

Coyote: The current world record
for a wild-caught alligator

Snapping turtle is 175 pounds.

This behemoth feels like it
weighs a ton,

But we'll have to weigh it to
see if we've broken this record.

All right.
And be very careful.

Yep. This is it, the moment
everyone has been waiting for,

The weight of this gargantuan
alligator snapping turtle.

♪

This is it, the moment everyone
has been waiting for,

The weight of this gargantuan
alligator snapping turtle.

One, two, three.

-All right.
-Hold.

Okay.

Ah.

Holy mackerel,
that's a heavy turtle.

123.4,

The largest snapping turtle
I have ever caught, come on.

-Wow.
-Dude, that is amazing!

Wow! It does not break
a world record,

But it breaks
a personal record for me,

For you,
for anybody that we know.

That is an enormous turtle.

Wow. All right.

Let's get it back
out of the sling.

Ah, you did so good, buddy.

You did so good.

Now the data will allow us
to keep track

Of the turtles
in this area specifically.

Snapping turtles live all
throughout the eastern

Half of the united states,
and of course the alligator

Snapping turtle
is only here down in the south,

But having this data allows us
to distinguish the difference

Between this population
of alligator snapping turtles

Living in this unique lake-type
environment versus alligator

Snapping turtles that are
living in flowing water

Like streams and rivers.

A turtle like this is
incredibly old,

Maybe as much
as 100 years of age.

These turtles of this size
are incredibly rare these days.

Poaching and turtle meat
being traded on the black market

Is a huge problem
for this reptile.

So here is an important fact
that you may not know.

Turtles are actually the most
endangered group

Of vertebrates
on the face of the planet,

And the alligator
snapping turtle

Is threatened here
in the state of texas.

Without us caring about
these reptiles,

There's no hope for their
future to continue thriving.

As soon as we get this turtle
back off into the wild,

It's unlikely that it will
ever interact

With a human the way
that it did today.

Well, this certainly was
an incredible expedition.

We now know that this
environment is a healthy,

Happy ecosystem for
the alligator snapping turtle.

I'm coyote peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on
the next adventure.

All right, time to get this
turtle back into the lake.

All right, buddy.
Here we go.

Turtles have been on the planet
for more than 200 million years.

They have survived
the extinction of dinosaurs,

And their prehistoric nature
has not evolved

Far beyond
their original design.

The alligator snapping turtle
is without question

One of our planet's
most mysterious animals,

And their elusive behaviors
have kept them well hidden,

Yet humans have had an impact,

And the species is now
under threat of disappearing.

Conservationists like
carl and viviana

Love these bizarre beasts,
and while a snapping turtle

May not be the most adorable
of the shelled reptiles,

Each and every turtle
deserves protection.

The first time I saw a common
snapping turtle

With its golden eyes,

Algae-covered shell,
and dragonlike tail,

My imagination ran wild,

And my fascination
for animals sparked a fire

That has led me
on this journey.

I owe everything that I am
to these ancient beings,

And it's because of them
that I am able

To share my love
of animals with you.

We all dream of finding
our calling

And hope to recognize the very
thing that makes us special,

That sets us apart
from the rest.

My dream was born
in the muddy swamps

Of a tiny rural town
in the middle of nowhere,

And like the snapping turtle,

It has found a way to grow
and survive against all odds.

What began with a single reptile
has now become my chance

To brave the wild.

♪