Young Snapper

We were walking down the hill from the hayfield - through the woods - at the end of our walk, when The Husband suddenly said "WHOA!" and stopped. There in the middle of our little path was this young snapping turtle! What a treat! It was maybe 8 or 9 inches long from the tip of its tail to the tip of its snout. Probably not much more than a couple of years old? I have no idea how fast they grow, but when they hatch they're not much more than a couple of inches in diameter at most. Anyway - it was a good thing he saw it rather than stepped on it! It was very well hidden in the damp (it's been raining for days) rotting leaves. You can perhaps tell from the oak leaf under its tail about what size it is.