Florida Snapping Turtle Size
The common snapping turtle chelydra serpentina is a large freshwater turtle of the family chelydridae its natural range extends from southeastern canada southwest to the edge of the rocky mountains as far east as nova scotia and florida the three species of chelydra and the larger alligator snapping turtles genus macrochelys are the only extant chelydrids a family now restricted to the.
Florida snapping turtle size. The only real difference between florida and common snapping turtles is soft spikes on the neck and head called turbercles. Recently biologists from the florida fish and wildlife conservation commission captured a 100 pound suwannee alligator snapping turtle a massive new species that live in the suwannee river. They are primarily active at night. Florida snappers and common snappers are extremely similar in appearance.
Florida snapping turtles chelydra serpentina osceola are found only in peninsular florida where they live the typical snapper s life at the bottom of their pond or lake buried in the mud waiting for their next meal to pass by. Three massive snapping turtles were found in florida with one weighing 100 pounds. One of these three turtles. Chelydra serpentina osceola is an aquatic turtle that grows to be quite large in size.
In florida wildlife conservationists captured three suwannee alligator snapping turtles last week that looks like they came out straight from a movie about monsters. According to a florida fish and wildlife conservation commission fwc facebook post the 45kg male suwannee alligator snapping turtle was found along with another 29kg male and a 20kg female in. These photographs are of two freshwater florida snapping turtles that by their very nature are seldom observed so close up in the wild. We d even go so far as to say that it would take an experienced reptile enthusiast to be able to distinguish between the two.
It is from the family chelydridae which is native in areas along southeastern canada to the southwestern edge of the rocky mountains and nova scotia and florida to the east. Florida wildlife conservation fish and wildlife research institute has uploaded pictures and videos of this rare reptile on their facebook account. In shallow waters florida snapping turtles may lie beneath a muddy bottom with only their heads exposed stretching. It reaches a maximum size of 18 and 35 pounds.
With a beaklike jaw spiked shell and scaly thick tail it s been dubbed the dinosaur of the turtle world.
