Adventure Girl
Close Encounters of the Reptilian Kind
By Megan Burkholder |
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Photo by Chris Casella You rolling?
Alright, we've got a large snapping turtle right here! And he is on the move . . . I'm just gonna go for him!
Coyote Peterson doesn't look at the video camera, he keeps his eyes on the shadowy mass near the surface of the marsh, then darts towards the aim of his pointing finger. Blendon Woods' swamp is unpredictably deep and the muddy sludge is tricky to maneuver, but Coyote seems to skip on the water like a dragonfly. Surprising the turtle from behind, Coyote thrusts his arms into the water down to the tarry mud and reaches for the large shell. The turtle does not like this intrusion. Using his powerful prehistoric claws, he slices whatever is in his path to escape, including Coyote's flesh. Flailing and slashing, the turtle drags Coyote's upper body underwater; when he emerges, his t-shirt, shorts, and arms are covered in black, rancid mud.
Filming the spontaneous event is Chammp, the cinematographer, who dutifully follows Coyote into the swamp to capture the ensuing underwater wrestling match. Without warning, the turtle juts his long neck out at the speed of a prizefighter's arm and snaps his jaw at Coyote's fingers. Coyote jerks back, sending with him a splash of lily pads, algae scum and swamp water. He strains to comment into the camera, "As you can see he's gone straight into attack mode and just did a number on my thumb!"
Welcome to The Reptile Show!
Off camera, fearless adventurer Coyote Peterson is actually Nate Hahn, actor, writer, and owner of Lost Draft Productions. A Columbus-based film company with a crew of mostly OSU grads, Lost Draft Productions is filming a television series called The Reptile Show starring Nate as the audacious Coyote Peterson and Matt Barnes as Jasper Applewood, his nerdy sidekick. Appealing to all generations, the show educates using simple explanations, adrenaline-fueled adventure and tongue-in-cheek humor with the intention of inspiring people to explore their natural environments.
This summer, the team is continuing to film around Ohio for the show's pilot. Hundreds of swampy hours have been spent battling spiders, mosquitoes, and inclement weather with non-waterproof camera equipment all in effort to find (measure, weigh and release) a world record size common snapping turtle. The record currently stands at 76 pounds. Because Blendon Wood's swamp is relatively old and provides ample food, the team surmises that the largest might live right here in Columbus' backyard. Last year at Blendon Woods, the cameras were rolling when Coyote experienced a dangerous encounter with a 55-pound snapping turtle while caught in the thralls of unrelenting quicksand. He had to sacrifice his boots to the earth in order to escape.
Snapping turtles are no doubt a direct descendent of dinosaurs, with long pointy tails, leathery spotted skin, sharp claws, mean yellow eyes - and a pissy attitude. They feast on fish, frogs, water snakes, other turtles, herons, geese, raccoons and even wolverines, and are often killed for their tasty meat (The Old Mohawk's Turtle Soup: Bowl $6.79, Cup $4.99). As the largest reptile in Ohio, the snapping turtle hates to be bothered and will slash you savagely or reach its flexible neck around to crush bone or amputate your finger with its powerful beak-like jaw. These vicious tendencies are precisely why Lost Draft Productions chose the dramatically theatrical beast as the subject for its pilot episode.
Still filming, Coyote looks ashore to find his guest reporter, moi, with mouth and eyes agape. He calls out, "Megan, you wanna get close to death?"
"Okay," I squeak out, my voice higher than usual. Dressed in rubbery waders that cover my body from feet to chest, I use a walking stick and push through thick, sinking mud towards the turtle, Coyote and Chammp. Coyote picks up the nearly 35-pound snapping turtle and shoots a close-up educational bit for the camera. The turtle's jaw is hinged and I see down his long muscular throat and hear the hissing air bubbles . . . he's one mean S.O.B.
Coyote pulls a suctioned leech off the turtle's carapace, explaining to the camera that leeches are their number one parasite. The turtle snaps at his wrist, sending me a step back towards shore.
Coyote interrupts his educational illustration, "Hold on a second . . . there's something . . . there's a snapping turtle right here! Are you rolling? There is a second snapping turtle coming up behind our cameraman! This is awesome!"
Coyote grabs the first turtle by the back of his carapace with one hand and drags him over to the second snapping turtle, which kicks and claws in an effort to escape as Coyote reaches for its tail. Both turtles are in serious attack mode. The second turtle swims to the rear behind Coyote's back, his beady eyes staring at Coyote's skimpy camouflage shorts. His mouth is open for only a moment before he snaps at Coyote's rear. As though purposefully aiming for his weak spot, the turtle bites the extra fabric between Coyote's legs. I cover my mouth in sheer horror at what did or might happen next. Instinctively, Coyote lifts his leg and pushes on the turtle's shell removing the hard grip from his crotch.
"Oh! Did you see how close that turtle was? Did you get that? He was biting onto my shorts."
To my surprise, Nate went home with all body parts intact that day. Currently, he and Lost Draft Productions are working with a producer in Los Angeles. They might independently finance The Reptile Show and reap a bigger financial reward in the end or hand the show over to a network, such as Discovery or Animal Planet. In partnership with the L.A. producer, they are considering filming the first action adventure series in 3-D which will be viewable in homes across the world using the next stage in TV technology, 3-D HD. A few years will most likely pass before any of this will happen. But Nate, speaking through Coyote's sense of fearless adventure, is confident it will.
"It's not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of when."
Where Can I Be Adventure Girl/Boy?
Note: The members of The Reptile Show are trained professionals and obtain permits for their Metropark explorations. Do not attempt to befriend a snapping turtle on your own or cruise restricted Metropark areas. It is prohibited to adopt animals found in the parks.
Metroparks
Highbanks, Prairie Oaks, Battelle Darby Creek, Three Creeks, and Sharon Woods all offer off-trail natural play areas where you can search for reptiles. This summer, join the park's Top Ten Reptile Challenge: to locate, among others, the black rat snake, five-lined skink and yes, the snapping turtle.
To view specifics, go to www.metroparks.net then click on the bottom left "parkscope" link.
The Reptile Show
Follow Lost Draft Productions on their frequently updated website and blog:
www.thereptileshow.com
www.lostdraftproductions.blogspot.com
Originally Published: July 1, 2010
