Here's A Look At McHenry County's 'Chonkosauruses'

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — A video taken of the Chicago River's now-beloved "Chonkosaurus" has been making its rounds this past week. But local ecologists and photographers know that massive snapping turtles — with sizes that may even rival Chicago's Chonkosaurus — can also be found in McHenry County.

A video taken by LaGrange native Joe Santore, a botanist, of the Chicago River's Chonkosaurus has become an internet sensation. In an interview with Patch, Santore said he spotted what he suspects was a 60-pound snapping turtle near the Division Street bridge in Chicago. The sight, which Santore preserved on video from his cell phone, allowed him to document the occasion in sometimes colorful language as he captured photos and video of the large aquatic reptile.

Santore, who hosts a comedy educational podcast with his friend Al Scorch called "Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t," nicknamed the female turtle "Chonkosaurus."

• 'Look At You, You're Healthy' Botanist Says To 'Chonkosaurus'

“You see something like that, and it feels pretty good, especially what has been historically such a polluted and toxic place,” Santore told Patch on Wednesday. “I’m very familiar with the Chicago River, I’ve spent a lot of time around it, I’ve smelled it — I’ve known that smell since I was a kid — but it was remarkable just to see this thing apparently very healthy.”

While filming the sight, Santore provided the soundtrack for the video, saying, “Look at you, you’re healthy. You look good. I’m real proud of you. You’re eating healthy. Have you ever heard of liquid salad?”

• Check out more local photos on Patch.com editor Amie Schaenzer's Instagram
  

After the video went viral, the McHenry County Conservation District decided to showcase some of its own massive snapping turtles, which photographers have been lucky enough to spot and snap pictures of.

Beth Gunderson, a wildlife resource center specialist with the McHenry County Conservation District, told Patch snapping turtles typically spend most of their time underwater, so it can be a rare treat to spot one "basking and lying in the sun to soak up some rays to warm up their body temperature." They can weigh between 10 to 45 pounds but, as is the case with some of the "chonkiest" turtles, they can get much larger.

"Snappers naturally have very large heads, long tails, and big thick legs, giving them a 'chonky' appearance, and when they are draped over a rock or log basking, the look is even more pronounced," Gunderson said.

But what should you do if you come across one of these massive turtles?

Gunderson says simply giving them their space and leaving them alone is the best option.

"Despite their reputation, snapping turtles aren’t something to be afraid of. When they are in the water they typically swim away from people to avoid them. They only 'snap' when they are out of the water and are more vulnerable, and then only when they are disturbed," according to Gunderson.

If someone finds themselves in a situation where they do have to move a snapping turtle, the conservation district provides tips on how to do so in its video below.