The alligator snapping turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in North America, easily recognized by its massive head and three rows of spiky ridges on its shell.
These turtles are both scavengers and active hunters, using a pink tongue that looks like a burrowing worm to lure fish into their mouths. Additionally, they eat crayfish, snakes, mollusks, plant material, as well as other turtles.
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Fish
Alligator snapping turtles consume a variety of foods, such as fish, crayfish, snakes and mollusks. Additionally, they graze on plant material like roots, seeds and fruits for sustenance.
Alligator snapping turtles feed on fish in the wild. They use their worm-shaped tongue to attract prey into their mouths, where they then bite and swallow it whole.
Crayfish, frogs, salamanders and other smaller animals also form their diet. Acorns, wild grapes and palmetto berries round out this nutritious food source.
Alligator snapping turtles are polygynandrous (promiscuous), meaning both males and females mate with multiple partners. Breeding season occurs annually between early spring in the south and late spring in the north; females build nests in sand or silt typically 50 yards from water’s edge, depositing 10-50 leathery eggs.
Mollusks
Alligator snapping turtles are omnivorous, feeding on fish, frogs, crayfish, snakes, birds, carrion and mollusks. They may also take advantage of aquatic rodents or small mammals who venture near the water’s edge for sustenance.
Their large heads and powerful jaws enable them to ambush prey. To attract fish and frogs, they use a natural lure on their tongue that attracts prey such as small fish.
These aquatic birds are commonly observed in rivers and slow-moving lakes along the Gulf Coast states of southern America, from Florida Panhandle westward through East Texas to southeastern Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois (Florida Natural Areas Inventory 2001).
These large turtles have a dark-brown carapace with three longitudinal ridges on its rear surface. Additionally, there is a long, sharp hook on its front side and serrated edge running along its backside.
Plants
Snapping turtles eat a variety of items in their environment. As adults, they tend to eat mostly plants while juveniles prefer fish-eating species called piscivores (fish eaters).
Crayfish feed on a variety of plant parts such as leaves, flowers and rootlets, in addition to crayfish, earth worms and pelleted diets.
Alligator snapping turtles are a threatened species in the United States, with limited distribution in their native habitat of southeastern U.S. They often inhabit large ponds, rivers, bayous and lakes.
Humans should avoid alligator snapping turtles because of their powerful bite, which has the potential to amputate fingers or injure other body parts. If someone is bitten by an alligator snapping turtle, it’s best to call 911 right away for medical assistance.
Invertebrates
Alligator snapping turtles are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of foods. Plants make up approximately 1/3 of their diet while fish and invertebrates make up the remainder.
These aquatic turtles scavenge in river systems, lakes and wetlands. They tend to stay close to the water’s edge, rarely venturing onto land except to breed.
They mate in late winter or early spring and lay a clutch of 10 to 60 eggs that hatch approximately 90 days after mating.
Snapping turtles have a long, thick shell with three longitudinal ridges of large scales (osteoderms). Furthermore, they possess an unusual worm-like appendage which they use as an oral lure for small prey items.
Other Turtles
Alligator snapping turtles are omnivores, feeding on both plant and animal matter. This includes frogs, fish, crayfish, snakes, mollusks, plants and smaller turtles.
They use their chemosensory senses to detect and locate prey such as mud turtles buried at the bottom of rivers. When resting, these aquatic predators often display a pink tongue that looks like a worm to attract potential prey.
Alligator snapping turtles can be found in a variety of aquatic habitats, from rivers to lakes. They prefer slow-moving water with soft muddy or sandy bottoms but can also tolerate brackish water (mixture of seawater and freshwater).
