Snapping turtles lure fish with a worm-like tongue and strike fast. Finding one inside my pond was a nightmare scenario. We had to move quickly before it did more damage. What followed was intense.

Snapping turtles are not the kind of animal that most people think of as “cute” with their funnel-shaped noses, thick, warty bodies, and armored tails. Box turtles are cute. Sea turtles are adorable.

You wouldn’t normally see the words “turtle” and “lightning-fast” in the same sentence, but common snapping turtles have skills that put Olympic athletes to shame. Although some people in the comments ...