Florida Snapping Turtle Species
In this article i am going to take a closer look at each species and cover a few basic things about them things like the appearance lifespan how big it can.
Florida snapping turtle species. Formerly the alligator snapping turtle macrochelys temminckii was considered a single wide ranging species that extended from the suwannee river drainage west into texas the fwc wrote. According to an fwc facebook post on friday biologists with the fwc fish and wildlife research. Common snapping turtles occur throughout the state. Presently under rule 68a 27 005 of the florida administrative code it is illegal to take possess or sell the alligator snapping turtle as it is a protected species.
E veryone agrees that the suwannee species is distinct. Recently a 100 pound suwannee alligator snapping turtle a massive new species that live in the suwannee river was one of three caught recently by florida wildlife conservation commission trappers. 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 mud turtles four species of mud turtles and musk turtles can also be found.
A 100 pound suwannee alligator snapping turtle a new species that lives in the suwanee river was among three of the massive reptiles recently captured by the florida fish and wildlife. Alligator snapping turtles have a limited range in the panhandle east to the suwannee river. Florida is home to 34 turtle species. Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission fwc researchers were checking traps last week when they came upon a 100 pound male alligator snapping turtle.
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. Non native clemmys guttata schneider 1792 spotted turtle. But those turtle species are not distributed evenly so most states won t always be home to the same turtle species even if they are very close.
