Snapping Turtle

A common snapping turtle

    When we think of turtles in West Tennessee, we typically think of small box turtles, so when we found this turtle in our backyard, we were impressed by its size and ferocity.

     This is a common snapping turtle. They live as far north as Canada and as far south as Ecuador. It is commonly confused with the alligator snapping turtle that also lives in West Tennessee. The easiest way to distinguish between them is their shells. Alligator snappers have a much rougher, almost spiky, shell.
     The common snapper can grow up to 19 inches long (not including tail.) Our turtle was 18 inches head to shell with a tail approximately 4 inches long. Snapping turtles are omnivorous. They eat water plants, especially algae, and small aquatic animals such as frogs small fish and even young water birds.
     The common snapper cannot put its head in its shell, so they can be very aggressive when disturbed. Their strong jaws from which they get their name are their primary defense. They also also have sharp claws.

Notice the long tail.