Common Snapping Turtle

Description:

A large turtle with a massive head, long and highly mobile neck and powerful beak-like jaws. The top shell (carapace) comes in various shades of brown with pronounced ridges (that lessen with age) and a serrated back edge. Their tails are long and spiked. Snappers appear like they have outgrown their shell with their robust body structure. Their skin is rough and bumpy. Average shell length of 8-14 inches. 10-35 lbs. Diet includes Fish, carrion, invertebrates, aquatic plants, small birds and mammals. Common snapping turtles mate from May through November. The peak nesting period is however much shorter; from mid-May to mid-June. the female turtle will walk up to 2 miles round trip to deposit her eggs in a place that she finds ideal. The snapping turtle facts & information regarding the clutch of eggs vary depending on geographical location, and the size of the female is also of importance. Generally speaking, a clutch will contain approximately 20-40 eggs. Large females will produce a higher number of eggs than small females, and northern living females often produce more eggs than females from more southern regions.

Habitat:

Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, marshes throughout New York, particularly in slow moving, shallow waters with a muddy bottom. One of the most adaptable reptiles in New York, they are even found in urban waterways.