Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina)

I came across this turtle in the middle of the road the other day. This is a female Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina) -

The day before my dad had brought home an Eastern Painted Turtle he found crossing the road. I thought it would be a good learning experience and contrast to bring this girl home too and introduce her to my daughter - she's 4. I also wanted to ensure that this critter didn't become a road kill casualty, as so many do this time of year.

She proved to be a VERY aggressive girl. The following morning we took some pictures then hoped in the truck and took both turtles to a nearby pond, where we released them. Hopefully they're happy and enjoying there new home...

*** Update, June 13, 2006 - I caught another snapping turtle this past weekend. This girl was larger than the one pictured above. She too was attempting to cross the road. I tried to get her turned and headed away from the road but she refused. At that point I decided it best to not chance her attempting to cross after I'd left so I took her with me. We took some pictures of her and this time I measured her shell - 13" front to back and 10" wide, then off to the pond for her release.

The following information was obtained from the Internet -

The Eastern Snapping Turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in Massachusetts. Snapping Turtles are distinctive and ancient-looking turtles that can be as large as 20” and weigh up to 35 pounds, although some individuals are even larger. Males are much larger than females in this species. The carapace of a Snapping Turtle is serrated at its posterior margin and may have keels on the dorsal scutes. The tail is long and “saw–toothed” and the head is large with a hard beak.

The shell is usually dark green to black and is sometimes covered with algae. The skin is usually brown, black or tan. The legs are large and heavily scaled and the feet are webbed with long claws.

The Eastern Snapping Turtle ranges from the eastern United states and southern Canada southward to the Gulf of Mexico and west to the Rocky Mountains and can be found in most permanent or semipermanent bodies of fresh or brackish water, including rivers, streams, pools, bogs, legs, lakes, and marshes. The Eastern Snapping Turtle frequents well-vegetated wetlands with soft muddy banks or bottoms and is almost entirely aquatic.

Snapping Turtles are omnivores, feeding on fish (bullheads, sunfish, perch), aquatic invertebrates, crayfish, live vertebrates, carrion, and plant material. They are highly herbivorous and can be seen “grazing” on cattail roots (Typha) and water lilies (Nymphaea).

The Snapping Turtle reaches sexual maturity between 5 and 7 years of age. They typically lay eggs in soil, lawns, fields, and leaf or twig piles and deposit between 11 and 83 eggs in one or two clutches per year. Snapping Turtle eggs usually hatch after 2+ months of incubation, usually in early September.