American Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Geographical Region: They are found from south Alberta to Nova Scotia and south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Size: Up to 19 inches with males larger than females.
Weight: Up to 45 pounds for wild adults; up to 75 pounds for captive adults.
Habitat: They like warm shallow waters, buried in the mud with only their eyes and nostrils exposed.
Food: Carnivorous, they eat anything they can catch, even other small turtles.
Interesting Fact: They are characterized by their massive heads, strong jaws, keeled brown carapace, and long tails. They have a small and cross shaped plastron.
Photo courtesy of photographer John White
