Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)

Scientific classification

Kingdom    : Animalia

Phylum      : Chordata

Class         : Reptilia

Order         : Testudines

Family       : Chelydridae

Genus        : Macrochelys

Species      : M. temminckii

Some facts of Alligator Snapping Turtle.

Where do they live?: Central and southeastern North America

Habitat: Slow-moving rivers

Size: Shell length 26 in. (66 cm); weight 219 lb. (99.5 kg)

Coloration: Dark brown

Diet: Fruit, nuts, shellfish, fish, birds, other turtles, and small mammals

Breeding: Up to 50 eggs in a clutch; eggs hatch after 100 days

Life span: 60–100 years

Status: Vulnerable to rare in many places, protected locally

The alligator snapping turtle is the heaviest freshwater turtle. It is named for its powerful snapping jaws and the bumpy ridges on its shell, which look like the big, tough scales on the back of an alligator back. The muddy-brown color of the alligator snapping turtle camouflages (disguises) it against the bottom of deep, dark, slow-moving rivers.

This turtle often feeds during the day and eats almost anything, from fruit and nuts to birds, fish, mammals. Alligator snapping turtles can even overcome and eat smaller turtles, such as the common musk turtle and their smaller relatives, the common snapping turtles. The alligator snapping turtle is a poor swimmer, and it is too big and bulky to chase after its prey. Instead, it is an ambush predator, sitting still and waiting for its prey to pass within reach of its powerful, hooked jaws. This turtle also has a clever way of luring prey into its mouth. By pumping blood into its tongue, it creates a thin red strip, which it moves to make it look like a wriggling worm. When prey animals come to eat the “worm,” the turtle snaps shut its massive jaws. The alligator snapping turtle has a keen sense of smell, which helps it to find the decaying remains of dead animals in the river. It also eats a lot of plant matter, such as acorns and persimmons. It gathers the fruits and nuts as they fall into rivers from trees and bushes overhanging the water.

Eggs and Nests

Alligator snapping turtles mate in the spring, between February and April. Mating lasts between five and twenty-five minutes and takes place under the water. When they mate, the male uses his sharp claws to hold onto the female’s shell and releases a steady stream of bubbles from his nose. If several males gather near one female, they often behave aggressively toward their rivals to drive them away. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she drags her heavy body out of the water and digs a nesting chamber with her back feet. She starts by digging a large pit and then lowers her body down into the hole. She then digs a smaller hole at the bottom of the large one and lays the eggs there. The female produces one clutch of eggs each year. The number of eggs depends on the size of the female. Larger females lay larger clutches of up to fifty eggs, while smaller ones lay only about ten eggs. The eggs are hard and round, with smooth shells. Alligator snapping turtles do not look after their nests, which can sometimes be raided by predators such as raccoons.

Baby Turtles

It takes about 100 days for the eggs to hatch, and most of the young turtles emerge from their eggs in September or October. Higher nest temperatures cause more females to hatch out of the eggs than males. The hatchlings make their way to the water, where they are often caught and eaten by predators such as alligators, adult alligator snapping turtles, or gar fish.

Mossbacks

Many large alligator snapping turtles look like they have green shells and are nicknamed “mossbacks.” The green color is due to a dense covering of algae (not moss). The algae grow when the turtles spend a lot of time in shallow water. Sunlight falls on their backs, warming them up and triggering the growth of the algae.

Fearsome Flippers

Once they have grown into adults, alligator snapping turtles are very dangerous for people to handle. As well as their strong jaws, these large turtles also have extremely powerful flippers, which end in sharp claws. They can even bite chunks out of boats when people try to lift them on board. Despite the dangers, alligator snapping turtles were once heavily hunted to make turtle soup. In some areas, hunting continues to be a problem for these formidable reptiles. Water pollution has forced them to change their diet, and the turtle population has also been reduced as people continue to drain rivers and swamps.