The Common Snapping
Turtle is Virginia's largest turtle. It's carapace (top
shell) will grow to 18 inches long, and they can weigh up to
45 pounds. Snapping turtles have a large head with a hooked
jaw. Their colors are usually dull brown to black. They have
webbed feet with long claws and a very long tail.
Snapping turtles are
mostly nocturnal,
active at night. They will feed underwater during the day,
ambushing prey.
These turtles are very shy in the water, but on land they
are very agressive and will give a painful bite.
Jeff Dawson
Fred Siskind, Huntley Meadows
Park
Snapping turtles prefer muddy
lakes and ponds, as well as slow-moving rivers. They usually live
30-40 years.
The Common Snapping Turtle will
eat just about anything, including: aquatic
plants, fish, frogs and tadpoles,
salamanders, insects, snails, leeches, worms, snakes, small
mammals,
and baby ducks and goslings. They will also eat carrion
(dead animals).
Hammerson,
1986
Snapping turtles lay
20-40 eggs at a time, each the size of a ping-pong ball. The
eggs hatch in early autumn. The babies are eaten by many
predators,
including: herons, hawks, crows, large fish, raccoons,
snakes, and larger turtles.
The Common Snapping
Turtle will sometimes release a foul odor from a gland on
the underside of its body.
Common Snapping Turtles, are often
eaten by people, especially turtle soup. These turtles also help
people by controlling fish populations and other animals.
