Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

Natural History

Description: This is the largest and heaviest turtle both in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Adult snapping turtles weigh 10-35 pounds, but some have been weighed at more than 50 pounds. The brown carapace is usually covered in algae and has a saw-toothed back edge. The often yellowish-colored plastron is greatly reduced, leaving the limbs very ex- posed from the underside. The tail supports a row of jagged dorsal scales and is nearly as long as the carapace. The head has large jaws and a pointed snout with a prominent beak. Its long neck, powerful jaws and aggressive behavior have rightly earned the snapping tur- tle its name. Males are larger in size than females, and their tails are proportionally longer. Hatchlings are dark brown to black and bear small white flecks on their undersides. They are highly aquatic turtles, which often lie on the bottom in shallow water, extending their long necks just far enough to keep their nostrils and eyes above the surface of the water.

Vocalizations: Snapping turtles make a hissing sounds when threatened.

Breeding: Snappers reach sexual maturity at the age of five. Mating occurs from April to October. Females lay 20-30 white, leathery eggs in June which hatch after 50-125 days.

Distribution: They range from Maine and adjacent Canada west to Montana and south to New Mexico and southern Florida. Snapping Turtles have been found in western states, but these individuals are thought to be the results of unwise releases of pet turtles.

Habitat: They make their homes in permanent bodies of freshwater including ponds, lakes, marshes, rivers, creeks, and sloughs with muddy bottoms and plenty of vegetation.

Diet: They will eat anything that swims by including insects, crayfish, clams, worms, leeches, fish, amphibians, reptiles, carrion, and aquatic plants. The are nocturnal omnivores.

Lifespan: Adult Snapping Turtles have few predators other than humans and may live to be 50-75 years old. Besides cars, the only dangers are to the hatchlings and eggs, which are eaten by raccoon, skunks, fox, snakes and much more.

Conservation Status: In Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as in other parts of their range, they are considered to be a species of special concern due to their long lifespan and the unknown im- pacts of both commercial harvest and environmental toxins. Range Map Reference: MN DNR website