Reptiles

Common Snapping Turtle

(Chelydra serpentina)

Species Description

**Description:** A prehistoric-looking turtle with a rugged, saw-toothed shell, long spiked tail, and powerful jaws.

**Size & Weight:** Shell length averages 8–18 inches. Weighs 10–35 lbs, though some can exceed 50 lbs.

**Sexual Dimorphism:** Males are generally larger than females.

**Life Cycle:** Females travel overland in late spring to bury eggs in sandy soil. Hatchlings emerge in late summer.

**Habitat:** Aquatic "vacuum cleaners" found in ponds, slow-moving rivers, and reservoir coves.

**Behavior:** Docile underwater but defensive on land. In winter, they bury in mud and breathe through their skin.

💡 Fun Facts

Snapping turtles can live to be over 100 years old!
In the winter, they bury themselves in mud at the bottom of ponds and breathe through their skin.
Snapping turtles have very small bottom shells (plastrons), which leaves them unable to pull their limbs inside for protection like other turtles.
In the winter, they can survive under the ice for months by absorbing oxygen through the membranes in their throat and cloaca.
They serve as the "clean-up crew" of the reservoir, eating carrion, invasive fish, and even small amounts of aquatic vegetation.
Snapping turtles can live to be over 100 years old and serve as the aquatic "clean-up crew" of the reservoir.
In the winter, they bury themselves in mud at the bottom of ponds and can actually breathe through the skin in their tail area.
Despite their reputation on land, they are typically docile and shy when encountered underwater.