Common snapping turtle : North Carolina wildlife profiles

NORTH N CAROLINA RESOURCES COMMISSION Common Snapping Turtle North Carolina Wildlife Profiles Common SnappingTurtle (Chelydra serpentina) This common and familiar animal is North Carolina’s largest freshwater turtle. Its large head and long tail make identification easy. Snappers are so named because they defend themselves by snapping and biting aggressively when handled or otherwise molested. They are top-level predators in many food chains and are important compo¬ nents in aquatic ecosystems. Description Snapping turtles have large heads with powerful jaws and necks. The carapace has a jagged posterior edge and three longitudinal keels, which are most prominent in young specimens. The plastron is small and cross-shaped. The tail, adorned above with large, saw'-toothed scales, is much longer than that of any other North Carolina turde. The shell offers only limited protection to the head and limbs, causing these turdes to rely largely on their strong jaws for defense. The skin and shell are usually brownish above and whitish or yellowish below'. The skin is thick, with numerous tubercles, and the powerful limbs have large claws. The carapace is often encrusted with algae. Male snappers are, on the average, larger than females. History and Status Snapping turtles are fairly common throughout North Carolina, and they occur in most aquatic habitats. They are not currently listed under any category of special protection, but a wildlife collection license is required to collect more than four reptiles in a year. Com mercial collecting of snappers for their meat has probably reduced populations in some areas, and in some states such activities have resulted in the need for protective legislation. In North Carolina, once a wildlife collection license is acquired, up to 10 turtles per day and 100 per year may be harvested. Habitats and Habits Snappers occur in most freshwater habitats and sometimes enter brackish water. They are most common in large, permanent, relatively quiet bodies of w’ater, such as ponds, lakes, swamps, canals and rivers. More aquatic than most of our turtles, they seldom bask but often swim near the surface. They may w'ander considerable distances over land between bodies of water, especially during rainy periods in spring and early summer. They frequently cross roads, particularly females during nesting season, and many are killed by motor vehicles. When closely approached on land, a snapping turtle often elevates its hindquarters, gapes its jaws and then suddenly lunges with a snakelike strike at the offending object. They may also secrete a strong-smelling musk from glands along the sides of the body w'hen irritated. In water they are more at home, usually retreating or withdrawing when confronted by a larger animal. (Jeff Hall) The common snapping turtle gets its name for its penchant to snap and bite aggressively when handled. (Jeff Hall) Range and Distribution This wide-ranging turtle occurs through¬ out most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Scattered populations have been introduced west of the Rockies, and other subspecies range from Mexico to Ecuador. The species occurs throughout North Carolina. Range Map ■ Common snapping turtle range