Common Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Summary 5
The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a large freshwater turtle of the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia and Florida. This species and the larger alligator snapping turtles are the only Macrochelys species in this family found in North America (though the common snapping turtle, as its name implies, is much more widespread).
Appearance 6
In snapping turtles the carapace is normally between 8 and 18 1/2 inches long. The shell color ranges from dark brown to tan and can even be black. Their necks, legs, and tails have a yellowish color and the head is dark. A snapping turtle's mouth is shaped like a strong, bony beak with no teeth.
Habitat 6
Snapping turtles live only in fresh or brackish water, but they lay their eggs on land. They prefer water with muddy bottoms and lots of vegetation so that they can hide more easily.
Sources and Credits
- (c) cdarling23, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cdarling23
- (c) Leejcooper, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Snapping_Turtle_(Chelydra_serpentina).jpg
- (c) Denver Kramer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denver Kramer
- Megan Racey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_snapping_turtle_in_hands_chelydra_serpentina.jpg
- Adapted by Will Kuhn from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelydra_serpentina
- (c) gburg2016, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/384135
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