iChelydra
Chelydra serpentina
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Family: Chelydridae Genus: Chelydra Troost, 1835 Species: C. serpentina
Binomial name
Chelydra serpentina Linnaeus, 1758

Common Snapping Turtle head

Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are more formally referred to as Common Snapping Turtles when distinguishing them from their larger cousins (Macrochelys), and are popularly nicknamed "snappers." They are large freshwater turtles of the family Chelydridae, ranging from southeastern Canada west to the Rocky Mountains (and beyond, where introduced), and south through Mexico to Ecuador. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Eumetazoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Xenoturbellida Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Ectoprocta Bryozoa... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane. ... Families See text Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudinata, most of whose body is shielded by a special bony shell developed from their ribs. ... Most modern turtles and tortoises belong to this group. ... Genera See text Snapping turtles (or snappers) are large, New World freshwater turtles of the family Chelydridae. ... Gerald Troost (1776-1850) was an American-Dutch medical doctor, naturalist, mineralogist, and founding member and first president of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1467 KB) Summary Common Snapping Turtle found in Virginia Beach on Greatneck Road sidewalk Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1467 KB) Summary Common Snapping Turtle found in Virginia Beach on Greatneck Road sidewalk Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Binomial name Macrochelys temminckii Troost, 1835 Synonyms Macroclemmys temminckii Boulenger, 1889 Chelonura temminckii Troost, 1835 Testudo planitia Gmelin, 1789 The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is the largest fresh water turtle in North America, and possibly the world. ... For other uses, see Turtle (disambiguation). ... In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank. ... Moraine Lake, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ...

Common snappers are noted for their pugnacious dispositions when out of the water, their powerful beak-like jaws and their highly mobile head and neck (hence the specific name "serpentina," meaning "snake-like"). They have rugged, muscular builds with ridged shells (though these ridges tend to be more pronounced in younger individuals). The carapace length in adulthood may be nearly 50 cm (20 inches) (though 20-36 cm, or 8-14 inches, is more common), with C. serpentina and its subspecies commonly weighing up 4.5-16 kg (10-35 lb). Exceptional individuals may reach 34 kg (75 lb). In some areas they are hunted heavily for their meat, a popular ingredient in turtle soup. Common snappers have lived for up to 39 years in captivity, while the lifespan of wild individuals is estimated to be around 30 years. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with mandible. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae Ophidian redirects here. ... The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... The pound is the name of a number of units of mass, all in the range of 300 to 600 grams. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to the Wikibooks Cookbook using the Transwiki process. ...

Common snappers have long tails with spiky protrusions, as well as long flexible necks which can reach one-half to two-thirds of the length of their shells, making handling dangerous. They cannot fully retract their head and appendages, relying on fierce displays when aggravated. Their snapping jaws and sharp claws are capable of inflicting serious injury up to and including amputation of digits. A Ring-tailed Lemur For other uses, see Tail (disambiguation). ... A human neck. ... In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part (from anatomical position) that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth (all of which aid in various sensory functions, such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste). ... Injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical. ... Partial hand amputation For the song Amputations by Death Cab for Cutie, see You Can Play these Songs with Chords Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma (also referred to as avulsion) or surgery. ...

Fossil record

The genus Chelydra is exclusively North American. Its earliest occurrence is from the late Barstovian (middle Miocene) of Cherry County, Nebraska. This assignment is based on a single partial right hypoplastron that is described as being markedly more massive and rugose than C. serpentina. No species assignment was made for this specimen. Published reports of Chelydra from the Pliocene involve very scant material. A large, undescribed fossil member is known from upper Pliocene localities of northern Florida. Specimens of this new species are by far the largest Chelydra ever discovered, reaching a carapace length of over 127 cm (50 inches). Abundant records of Chelydra from the Pleistocene have been published. In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a taxonomic grouping. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Miocene epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23 to 5. ... Cherry County is a county located in the state of Nebraska. ... The plastron is the nearly flat part of the shell structure of a tortoise, what we would call the belly, similar in composition to the carapace; with an external layer of horny material divided into plates called scutes and an underlying layer of interlocking bones. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) is part of the geologic timescale. ...

Subspecies

Four subspecies of Chelydra serpentina are typically recognized. C. s. serpentina is the form present across the majority of its North American range, occurring east of the Continental Divide into most of southern Canada, the United States, and parts of northern Mexico. C. s. osceola occurs only in peninsular Florida up to the Okefenokee area of southern Georgia. C. s. acutirostris and C. s. rossignonii are neotropical, C. s. rossignonii occurring in southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras while C s. acutirostris ranges from Nicaragua across the Central American isthmus down the South American Pacific coastal region to Ecuador. In zoology, as in other branches of biology, subspecies is the rank immediately subordinate to a species. ... A continental divide is a line of elevated terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that water falling on one side of the line eventually travels to one ocean or body of water, and water on the other side travels to another, generally on the opposite side of... Peninsula A peninsula (from Latin paene insula, almost island) is a geographical formation consisting of an extension of land from a larger body, surrounded by water on three sides. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 400,000 acre (1600 km²), peat-filled swamp located near the southern border of Georgia, in the United States. ... Neotropical or Neotropic relates to a biogeographical region in the New World, bordered in the north by the dry areas in Mexico and the southern states of the USA. in the south by southern Patagonia. ... Map of Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. ... The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ...

Ecology & reproduction

These turtles spend most of their time beneath the surface of any permanent body of water, whether shallow ponds, shallow lakes, or streams. Some may inhabit brackish environments, such as estuaries. Common Snapping Turtles sometimes bask - though rarely observed - by floating on the surface with only their carapace exposed, though in the northern parts of their range they will also readily bask on fallen logs in early spring. In shallow waters, common snappers may lie beneath a muddy bottom with only the head exposed, stretching their long necks to the surface for an occasional breath (note that their nostrils are positioned on the very tip of the snout, effectively functioning as snorkels). Snapping turtles are omnivores, consuming both plant and animal matter, and are important aquatic scavengers; but they are also active hunters that prey on anything they can swallow, including many invertebrates, fish, frogs, reptiles (including snakes and smaller turtles), unwary birds and small mammals. A pond is typically a body of water smaller than a lake. ... Lake Clearwater, Ontario, Canada A lake is a large body of water, usually fresh water, surrounded by land. ... STREAMS is the Unix System V networking architecture. ... Brackish redirects here. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones, the transition from winter into summer. ... Pigs are omnivores. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe any animal without a spinal column. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families The frog is an amphibian in the order Anura (meaning tail-less from Greek an-, without + oura, tail). ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Orders Multituberculata (extinct) Volaticotheria (extinct) Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Australosphenida Ausktribosphenida Monotremata Subclass Eutheria (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Anagaloidea (extinct) Arctostylopida (extinct) Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Cingulata Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Leptictida (extinct) Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia...

Snappers will also travel extensively overland to reach new habitat or to lay eggs. Pollution, habitat destruction, food scarcity, overcrowding and other factors will drive snappers to move overland; it is quite common to find them travelling far from the nearest water source. Snapping turtles mate from April through November, with their peak laying season in June and July. The female can hold sperm for several seasons, utilizing it as necessary. Females travel over land to find sandy soil in which to lay their eggs, often some distance from the water. After digging a hole, the female typically deposits 25 to 50 eggs, guiding them into the nest with her hind feet and covering them with sand for incubation and protection. Incubation time is temperature-dependent, ranging from 9 to 18 weeks. In cooler climates, hatchlings overwinter in the nest. Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In most birds and reptiles, an apple (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... It has been suggested that Externality be merged into this article or section. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with a length of 30 days. ... Look up July in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The signifier sperm can refer to: (mass noun, from Greek sperma = seed) a substance which consists of spermatozoa and which is a component of semen (mass noun) semen itself (informally, count noun with plural sperm or sperms) a single spermatozoon (= sperm cell) sperma ceti (Latin ceti, genitive of cetus = whale... The word incubation (from the Latin incubare, to lie upon) can mean the following: In chemistry or biochemistry, incubation refers to maintaining a system under specific conditions in order to promote a particular reaction. ...

A female snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) looking for a suitable spot to lay her eggs.

She has found a suitable spot, dug a hole in the sandy soil, and is now depositing her eggs.

Closeup of the eggs.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1531x1021, 566 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Snapping turtle User:Moondigger ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1531x1021, 566 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Snapping turtle User:Moondigger ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1531x1021, 735 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Snapping turtle User:Moondigger ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1531x1021, 735 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Snapping turtle User:Moondigger ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1531x1021, 252 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Snapping turtle Egg (biology) User:Moondigger ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1531x1021, 252 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Snapping turtle Egg (biology) User:Moondigger ...

Handling & care

It is a common misconception that a snapping turtle may be safely picked up by its tail, with no harm to the animal; in fact, this has a high chance of injuring the turtle, especially the tail itself and the vertebral column. A handler must also be wary of injury to himself. Snapping turtles are aptly named, as they can snap with amazing speed and power; a full grown snapper can easily nip off a finger. The safest method, of course, is to avoid handling a snapper at all. If moving it is absolutely necessary, scooping and lifting the turtle just off the ground with a shovel (especially a snow shovel), if done quickly, may be safest and easiest for all concerned parties. A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... For other uses, see Snow (disambiguation). ...

Lifting the turtle with the hands is difficult. Some snappers can stretch their necks halfway back across their own carapace. Manual lifting (which should be done only if no other options are available) is best accomplished by sliding fingers behind the turtle's hind legs, with the tail between the hands and gripping the turtle between the fingers and thumbs. The handler then proceeds to lift the turtle only just off the ground. The turtle will probably squirm and try to dislodge the handler's hands with its hind legs. Even a small snapper is relatively powerful for its size, with long sharp claws; further, due to their aquatic inclinations these turtles are often slimy and wet, and they are good at causing prospective handlers to lose their grip. In any case that a snapping turtle must be handled, it is best to have the turtle on the ground or very close. Wild turtles may be covered with a smelly pond slime and may also defecate, urinate, or musk on a handler. Musk is the name originally given to a perfume obtained originally from the strong-smelling substance secreted by a gland in the abdomen of the male musk deer, and hence applied to other animals, and also to plants, possessing a similar odor. ...

Strangely enough, the Common Snapping Turtle, when raised in captivity from a hatchling, may sometimes become docile and show preference for its keeper. It may show signs of recognizing individual people and will seek out those whose company it tolerates. Some can be taught to obey simple commands, but this can be a long process, as snapping turtles display the stubborn nature that is a defining characteristic of all turtle species. Common snappers kept as pets can become quite corpulent (up to 39 kg, or 86 lb); and even properly fed individuals may be difficult to move without their cooperation - and moving may become essential, as turtles require frequent water changes to remain content and healthy. Animals in which are situated in the esscence of humans are in captivity. ...

Popular history & trivia

The common snapper, known commonly and in folklore as the "Ograbme," was the central feature of a famous American political cartoon published in 1808, in protest at the Jeffersonian Embargo Act of 1807. The cartoon depicted a snapping turtle, jaws locked fiercely to an American trader who was attempting to carry a barrel of goods onto a British ship. The trader was seen whimsically uttering the words "Oh! this cursed Ograbme" ("embargo" spelled backwards). This piece is widely considered a pioneering work within the genre of the modern political cartoon. Folklore is the body of expressive culture, including tales, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, material culture, and so forth, common to a particular population, comprising the traditions (including oral traditions) of that culture, subculture, or group. ... This early political cartoon by Ben Franklin was originally written for the French and Indian War, but was later recycled during the Revolutionary War An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip containing a political or social message. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... The Embargo Act of 1807 was an American law prohibiting all export of cargo from American ports. ... This article is about the economic term. ... Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This early political cartoon by Ben Franklin was originally written for the French and Indian War, but was later recycled during the Revolutionary War An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip containing a political or social message. ...

In 2006, the snapping turtle was declared the "state reptile" of New York.[1] 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Gallery

Common Snapping Turtle investigating a board Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1693 KB) Summary Common Snapping Turtle found in Virginia Beach on Greatneck Road sidewalk Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Snap! Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1635 KB) Summary Common Snapping Turtle found in Virginia Beach on Greatneck Road sidewalk Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Common Snapping Turtle Image File history File links Common snapping turtle crossing road in northern Minnesota. ...

Snapper and Canada Goose snapping turtle predator Photo by Pollinator, Fairfield Glade, TN July 2003 Image copyleft: Image taken by me, released under GFDL Pollinator 05:49, Sep 19, 2004 (UTC) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Binomial name Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) Canada Goose distribution, including introduced and feral populations Yellow: summer Blue: winter Green: year-round Subspecies Dusky Canada Goose Vancouver Canada Goose Lesser Canada Goose Moffitts Canada Goose Giant Canada Goose Interior Canada Goose Atlantic Canada Goose The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) belongs...

External links

• View the Ograbme Cartoon (shown in question 5)
• The Snapping Turtle Page - www.chelydra.org
• Snapping Turtle Resources[[ru:черепахи]