Dinosaur!

This monster is the Alligator Snapping Turtle! Despite the prehistoric looks of these turtles, I didnt have to go back in time to find him. The US has 2 kinds of snapping turtles: the Common Snapper and the Alligator Snapper. The Common Snapper is pretty...well, common, and can be found in many ponds on rivers in the area. Alligator Snappers are far less common to find, but we do have them right here in our area in lakes and rivers! The Alligator Snapper has only one natural predator: People. The turtles are sought after because of their distinct spiny shells, meat, and market for exotic pets. Therefore it is listed as a "threatened species", and even endangered in some states. In the picture below you can see a curvy pink piece of flesh that resembles a worm in the turtle's mouth. This is used as a lure! The turtle wiggles the lure underwater and snaps down on any curious fish that comes close enough. These turtles will eat pretty much anything they can get ahold of, including dead fish, snakes, frogs, and even other turtles! In captivity they're known to eat anything thrown at them, including chicken, beef, & pork. The average weight is around 175 lbs for an adult male, and the record was 249 lbs, although there was an unverified report in 1937 of a 409 pounder!

MYTH: The Alligator Snapper has the 2nd most powerful bite force of any animal.

FALSE! The turtle's bite actually has less power than some other species of turtle, and is about on par with a human's bite force. Which still isn't too shabby, as they can easily amputate a finger with one of their powerful bites. While the Common Snapper is known for it's aggressive behavior, the Alligator Snapper is known to be a tad more docile, and will usually try to run/swim away to avoid an altercation. It's small neck prevents it from reaching very far (again, unlike the Common Snapper who has a long reach), however, if you're thinking of picking one up, let me remind you about the finger thing! Better to be safe than sorry. If you see one of these creatures in the wild, it's best to leave them alone unless it's in danger of being crushed by a car, in which case call a professional to assist the animal. The turtle pictured was rescued from a street in a residential area, far away from any body of water, which probably means the turtle fell victim to it's one natural predator and was intended to be kept as a pet, but now it's back in the wild where it belongs to live out the rest if it's long life (which can last up to 100 years!).