#Common Snapping Turtle

Yesterday I found this massive Common Snapping Turtle in a swamp in north Georgia with @dicklethepickle @reevesmygurl and @izzy.hoover. Reevie was about to release a Painted Turtle that I had caught when this big boy came out from under the boardwalk less than a foot away. I pulled him up onto the boardwalk and after checking him out for a bit, we sent him back into the swamp. Here I briefly place my hand on the shell behind his head; this is something you don’t want to do with smaller Snapping Turtles. They can retract their heads into their shells and bite your fingers if they choose to. This chap didn’t snap very much and was very tolerant of us. You can use this technique to move Snapping Turtles when you see them crossing the road, but be careful. #snappingturtle #commonsnappingturtle #commonsnapper #chelydra #chelydraserpentina #turtle #turtles #turtlesofinstagram #herping #wildlife

Can we all be grateful that Alligator snapping turtles can’t run fast…🤣💀 #wildlife #viral #alligatorsnappingturtle #snappingturtle #turtles #turtlesofinstagram #reptiles #reptile #reptiles #reptilesofinstagram #reptilekeeper

Haha animals can be funny this common snapping turtle definitely has his own personality lol and loves his chicken dinner 😂🐢 • • • #funny #turtle #funny #animal #reelsinstagram #cute #snappingturtle #fun #animals #lol #hungry #random #animalcrossing #reptile #style #haha

Fred and Goblin are Hybrid Snapping Turtles(Macrochelys apalachicolae x Chelydra serpentina Osceola).Their father was an Alligator Snapping Turtle and their mother was a Florida Snapping Turtle.A lot of people aren’t even aware that such hybrids exist and they’re very rare in the US.Up until about 10 years ago it wasn’t known that the parent species could hybridize.None have ever been documented in the wild.These two brothers were the result of a happy accident.One of the things that makes them so improbable is the sheer size difference between adults of the two species(Goblin and Fred’s mother was an unusually large Florida Snapper).Another is the fact that most Alligator Snappers do not like and won’t tolerate the presence of a Common or Florida Snapper.There was one large adult found with several old and broken Common Snapper shells around its den.Whether it was a freak accident or Divine intervention I don’t know but I’m sure glad that these two exist.Im very blessed to be their caretaker #hybridsnappingturtle #alligatorsnappingturtle #commonsnappingturtle #rare #reptile

Super cool ast 🐦‍🔥✨ #alligatorsnappingturtle #snappingturtle #turtle #turtles #turtle #turtleturtle #kura #kurakura #kurakuradarat #torto #tortoise #reptile #reptiles #reptilesofinstagram #reptilelover #reptilekeeper #reptilelove #commonsnappingturtle #snapping #monster #animalkeeper #pet #tortoise

Alligator Snapping Turtle Vs Common Snapping Turtle😳 These guys share a couple traits but it’s not very hard to tell them apart😅 The alligator snapper is a lot bigger and it’s got that giant beak like mouth👀 And you heard that right these guys will eat gators and basically anything that decides to mess with it😱

Juvenile Common snapping turtle cruised on a extremely slow day of herping. . . #animals #reptiles #snakes #funny #speed #herping #florida

Can confirm that they do indeed live up to their name. Now luckily I can say I’ve never been bitten by these guys defensively, they don’t do defensive bites, but right after a feeding if they smell my finger they will think its food and try to snap. #snappingturtle #bowser #commonsnappingturtle

Here is the highly requested slow-mo version of the snapping turtle incident. Doesn’t get much closer than that! 😳 The “bite speed” of a common snapping turtle, referring to how quickly it can strike, is estimated to be up to 174 miles per hour (280 kilometers per hour). This includes the lunging and jaw snapping action, which occurs in a remarkably short time of 4-8 milliseconds!! Even if you think you have fast relaxes, you will not be faster than a striking snapping turtle. I like to consider myself to have very fast reflexes and I didn’t even react until it was almost too late as you can see in this slowed down video. Stay safe out there, don’t engage with wildlife if you don’t know what you’re doing and give them plenty of space and respect! This was almost a very educational lesson on what not to do 🐢 • • • #snappingturtle #turtle #fishing #animaleducation #reptile

Tag something cuter than this baby snapping turtle. I don’t believe it exists! Baby snapping turtles emerge from eggs between August and October, appearing like miniature dinosaurs with long tails and hooked beaks. They are born self-sufficient, immediately navigating to water to hide from predators. Though they can live 100+ years, less than 1% survive to adulthood.

Wrangling the largest Alligator Snapping Turtles we’ve ever seen! #alligatorsnappingturtle #turtle #snappingturtle

“Unit” the obese snapping turtle 😳 Fed canned cat food for 12 years in a fish tank, Unit has become morbidly obese. He came to us through the @popcornparkanimalrefuge after they took him in from his previous owner. Now it’s up to us to get this massive snapping turtle on track to losing serious weight so he can live a long life. #snappingturtle #chelydraserpentina #obesepets #obeseanimals #animalobesity #turtles #gardenstatetortoise #reptiles #otistheturtle #tortoises #animalrescue #animalfacts #pets