REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 59
We’re going exploring in the US today for an aquatic reptile with a bite! Let’s grab our wellies and your night vision goggles and let’s go exploring near a pond and see if we can find today’s animal!
MEET THE COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE!
Range/Habitat: South Canada-USA-Mexico/ ponds, lakes & streams
Diet: Omnivore: fish, frogs, aquatic plants
Length/Weight: 10-20”/9.5-35 lbs
Conservation Status: common
Fun Facts:
- Common Snapping Turtles carapaces (top shell) vary in color, from brown to green.
- They have long tails.
- Common snapping turtles are nocturnal.
- Common snapping turtles spend most of their lives in water.
- They have webbed feet.
- Common snapping turtles hibernate in cold weather.
- Female common snapping turtles lay a clutch of eggs and the sex of the babies is determined by the temperature of the nest.
Common snapping turtles are such amazing creatures. Those snapping beaks are definitely built for eating! We’ll stay away those!
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 
When I was first adopted, I took my treats like a snapping turtle. *gobble* Now I have learned to wait nicely and take food carefully. Those turtles might need to learn some manners!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Good thing you have manners :)! Luckily turtles don’t have people feeding them.
I hope you don’t mind me sharing this post on my blog. 🙂
Of course not :)! We appreciate it!
Great. I love learning new things and your interview from another blog I follow got me to follow you. 🙂
Excellent! We are glad you found us! We love learning & sharing :)!
Stella the Great Newfenees here, via my scribe…
I was so excited to see this post! These turtles live just down the hill from me in the river, and I see them sunning on the rocks all the time in the summer. They get very big (we have one about 80 cm across the shell who’s a regular visitor)! But you are so right about keeping clear of their noses. My scribe’s horse Zak went to say hello to one who’d come up the hill to lay her eggs one day. She was very rude. She reared up on her hind legs and NIPPED ZAK’S NOSE!! YIPES! That hurt! Zak wore a mark on his nose for several days afterward….
Thanks for teaching us some more about them!
Oh no! Momma turtles can be very protective! Poor Zack! How nice that you have a horse friend :)! Horses make the best of friends! Say hi to the turtles for us when you are them this spring! Make sure you wave from a distance! Hehehe.
Oh, I never met Zak. My scribe Elizabeth just tells me stories. I have a plumey tail, though, which is very good for waving at a distance, so I’ll pass on your greetings!
Excellent :)!