Critter Surprises Brick Residents

It's not unusual to see animals here in Ocean County - all kinds of birds, small critters like squirrels and rabbits, and sometimes even larger woodland creatures like foxes and deer. But yesterday, residents of my neighborhood were a little surprised by the big fella who literally stopped traffic.

As I was heading out of my neighborhood to spend a beautiful late spring day at the beach, I noticed a family on the side of the road intently watching something. And then I noticed what it was...mostly because I almost ran over it.

A huge, and I really do mean huge, snapping turtle was ambling from a pond on one side of the road to another body of water across the street.

He was taking his time, and you know what...based on his sheer size and sharp mouth, nobody was about to bother him.

A bunch of us watched as he made it to the other side of the road and then literally toppled off of a small ledge above the pond, and then happily swam away.

It just goes to show - we may not see them every day, but we truly do share Ocean County with nature.

What critters have you seen in your neighborhood? Tell us in the comments!