"Ate the last guy who told him about salads": Giant snapping turtle in Chicago river leaves netizens in awe

Two YouTubers kayaking on the Chicago River were met by a surpise visitor. They spotted a giant snapping turtle laying on top of some chains and tree stubs in the middle of the river.

The snapper was ginormous in size and was later nicknamed "Chonkosaurus" by Joey Santore, who posted the video on Twitter and YouTube. Joey and his friend, Al Scorch, run the YouTube channel, "Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't."

They were out on the Chicago River, exploring its flora and fauna, when they encountered the laid-back snapper. The video has since gone viral, and viewers are in awe of both the size of the animal and the YouTubers' hilarious commentary on it.

Thicc turtle breaks the Internet

The Internet seems to be fascinated by the snapper's giant size, labeling it a 'chonker' and an 'absolute unit', while making jokes and funny comparisons on its weight.

Other users were happy to see a creature like a giant snapper flourishing in the chicago environment.

Netizens also enjoyed the YouTubers' reaction to the video as their thick Chicago accented commentary on the resting animal made the whole encounter quite hilarious.

Joey Santore runs, the YouTube channel, "Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't." The channel has over 341K subscribers and regularly posts funny educational videos on the flora and fauna of the area. It was during their Chicago River Biological Survey that they had their fateful encounter with 'Chonkosaurus'.

What are giant snapping turtles?

Snappers, named as such for their bite, are widespread all the way from Canada to Northern South America. They are the largest freshwater turtle species on the North American continent.

'Chonkosaurus' is described as a 'Chicago River Snapper' and seems to be a common snapping turtle. They are large reptiles and can grow up to 20 inches in length and weigh up to 20 to 75 pounds.

These animals spend most of their time underwater and only emerge from the depths on rare instances. Quite calm in the water, they tend to be slightly aggressive on land and also possess a mean bite.

Chris Anchor, a wildlife biologist with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, described the sighting as rare:

The anchor further explained that the snappers only come out of the river right after hibernation, which was probably the case with Chunkosaurus, or to lay eggs. His guess was that this particular snapper came up to the surface to bask in as much sunshine as possible.

About the author

Aaron covers a variety of topics as a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda. From reporting on entertainment news, Hollywood headlines to politics and social media reactions, Aaron’s versatility aligns with his early fascination of western pop culture and his background in journalism. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from St. Xavier's College, and started his professional journey with Sportskeeda.

Growing up, Aaron was obsessed with American animated shows, emo bands, and punk artists such as Avril Lavigne, Sum 41, early Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance. He was moved by these artists' gritty demeanor and the surrounding culture, which was unlike anything he had seen back home.

Writing accurate and credible content is Aaron's top priority as a popular culture writer. To accomplish this, he relies on the original sources such as police reports, DOJ statements, case files, lawsuits, original court documents, original posts, etc.

When not writing, Aaron works on writing short stories on horror - his favorite genre. He also hangs out with his friends, plays video games, watches and plays football, and works out at the gym. He also loves listening to artists such as Megadeth, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Cannibal Corpse, Rob Zombie, Damian Jurado, Acid Ghost, J Cole, and Daughter on repeat.

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