Common Snapping Turtle
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Family: Chelydridae Genus: Chelydra Species: C. serpentina
Binomial name
Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Snapping Turtle head

The Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina), or more formally referred to as Common Snapping Turtle 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. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 676 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... 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 extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Reptilia redirects here. ... 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. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Genera See below. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... 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 Troost, 1835 Synonyms Macroclemmys temminckii Boulenger, 1889 Chelonura temminckii Troost, 1835 Testudo planitia Gmelin, 1789 The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. ... For other uses, see Turtle (disambiguation). ... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ...

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"). 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. Human jaw front view Human jaw left view Human jaw top view The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to, the mouth. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... This page has been successfully copied to the Wikibooks Cookbook using the Import tool. ...

Anatomy and morphology

Chelydra serpentina have though these ridges tend to be more pronounced in younger individuals). The carapace (shell) 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). 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. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... “Kg” redirects here. ... The pound or pound-mass (abbreviations: lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States, #) is a unit of mass (sometimes called weight in everyday parlance) in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

Ecology and life history

Common habitats are 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. Two people reflected in a fish pond A pond is typically a man made 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 water (less commonly brack water) is water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as seawater. ... For other meanings, see Estuary (disambiguation) Rio de la Plata estuary An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. ... The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... For other uses, see Spring. ... Pigs are omnivores. ... Invertebrate is an English word that describes any animal without a spinal column. ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families The frogness babe is an amphibian in the order Anura (meaning tail-less from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin saltare, to jump). ... Reptilia redirects here. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex...

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 80 eggs each year, 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 egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... It has been suggested that Pollutant be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see June (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A spermatozoon or spermatozoan ( spermatozoa), from the ancient Greek σπέρμα (seed) and (living being) and more commonly known as a sperm cell, is the haploid cell that is the male gamete. ... 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 ...

Systematics & taxonomy

Four subspecies of Chelydra serpentina are typically recognized. C. s. serpentina is the form present across the majority of its range, occurring east of the Continental Divide into most of the southern United States, and parts of northern Mexico. C. s. osceola occurs only in 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. This article is about the zoological term. ... 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... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ...

Evolutionary history

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. For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... The Miocene Epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23. ... 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. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ...

Importance to humans

In captivity

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 themself. Snapping turtles are aptly named, as they can snap with amazing speed and power; a full grown snapper can easily bite off a finger or toe. 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. ... Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. ...

Lifting the turtle with the hands is difficult and dangerous. Some snappers can-and will-stretch their necks halfway back across their own carapace to bite. 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. ...

When raised in captivity, a snapper 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, myths and trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• 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.
• In 2006, the snapping turtle was declared the "state reptile" of New York.[1]
• When George W. Bush was 12, he kept a pet snapping turtle he got from a friend and named it "Kerry". About a year before the 2005 presedential elections, George W. Bush once called John Kerry a 'turtle' in reference to his pet.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 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. ... Year 1808 (MDCCCVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 N.S.–4 July 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–09), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. ... The Embargo Act of 1807 was an American law prohibiting all export of cargo from American ports. ... For delayed access after publication, see Embargo (academic publishing). ... A genre [], (French: kind or sort from Greek: γένος (genos)) is a loose set of criteria for a category of literary composition; the term is also used for any other form of art or utterance. ... 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. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the 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. ...	The turtle snaps at the board 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. ... For the Canadian outerwear manufacturer Canada Goose see Canada Goose (clothing) Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Canada Goose distribution, including native (dark tones) and introduced (light tones) populations Canada Goose summer: yellow Canada Goose all year: green Canada Goose winter: blue Cackling Goose summer: pink Subspecies Dusky Canada Goose Vancouver Canada...
Common Snapping Turtle sunning on top of a Beaver lodge Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Species C. canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. ...	Common Snapping Turtle Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1531x1021, 631 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Chelydridae Snapping turtle User:Moondigger ...	Snapping Turtle on wooden Deck Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...	Snapping Turtle being held Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

External links

• The Snapping Turtle Page - www.chelydra.org
• Snapping Turtle Video - Attempts to bite hiker's camera
• Alligator Snapping Turtle - America's Reptile Treasure - DVD
• Snapping Turtles at Popular Pets
• Snapping Turtle - Chelydra serpentina Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide