Common Snapping Turtle

Description:

Dark brown to dark green color w/ a light brown under belly. It has beak-like jaws; and highly mobile head and neck (thus the name serpentina - "snake-like").

Habitat:

The turtle was observed on the upper side of a bank of a large ditch. It was against the wire fence and resting. The ditch funneled water to a retention from road drainage and the pine forest woodlands on the other side of the ditch.