my daughter and i are sparring right now over what her college resume ought to look like. she keeps wanting to add things to her c.v. thinking that it will look good to have been widely involved in school activities and her community. i keep saying that doing a lot of things sort-of well is worse than doing a few things really well. maybe i’ll show her this snapping turtle, whose ancestors were paddling around shallow ponds when antarctica and australia were still connected and something called the alps began rising up just north of something that would later be called the mediterranean sea. the snapping turtle is really good at snapping prey with its beak, and it has sharp claws and a hard shell. if i had a little snapper who was preparing to submit an application to evolutionary university, i wouldn’t recommend that she attempt to take up ballroom dancing, or go on a mission trip to haiti, or join the debate team. i would recommend that she emphasize her quite excellent skills at snapping prey, and defending herself with sharp claws and a hard shell. that’s all i’m saying.

snapping turtle hatchling

sucker lake regional trail, saint paul, minnesota