Least ConcernCommon Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
One of the 41 turtles and tortoises on WAnimals
Reptiles · Testudines · Chelydridae
Macrochelys temminckii
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The alligator snapping turtle is the heaviest freshwater turtle in the Americas and one of the largest in the world: males exceed a hundred kilos. Its shell is crossed by three toothed ridges and its head is enormous. It fishes with a lure: it lies motionless on the bottom with its mouth open, wiggling a pink appendage on its tongue that mimics a worm.
Weight
20 kg – 100 kg
Size
40 cm – 80 cm
Life expectancy
80 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sources consulted: Wikipedia (en): Alligator snapping turtle
The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 11 of 18.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Alligator Snapping Turtle — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The alligator snapping turtle is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about alligator snapping turtle.
