Common Snapping Turtle
The
common snapping turtle (Cheldrya serpentina) brings a
pre-historic look to Oklahoma wildlife. The turtle is easily
recognizable with its hefty size, long saw-tooth tail, and large
head. If you recognize one while on land, though, take caution.
They can live up to their name and notorious reputation by
lunging forward and snapping their large, powerful jaws. When
found in the water, however, they remain quite docile and will
usually shy away from danger.
The common snapping turtle can be found throughout the eastern
two-thirds of the United States, extending from the Atlantic
Coast to the Rocky Mountains, and from Canada to the Gulf of
Mexico. It prefers shallow bodies of water with plenty of
vegetation, and rarely leaves the water except to bask. During
the summer, however, some turtles can be found traveling long
distances on land, apparently moving after their water source
has dried up.
Adult snappers average between eight to 14 inches long and weigh
10 to 35 pounds. The carapace, or the top of the shell, is often
brown, olive or tan, and has three raised ridges that become
more obscured with age. The plastron, or underside of the
turtle, is unusually small, has a yellow or cream color, and may
have dark markings.
The turtle’s skin color can vary from brown to gray or tan. Its
powerful legs are heavily scaled, and it has webbed feet with
long claws. It has a large head with two barbels on the chin.
Males are usually sexually mature by age five, and females
typically take two years longer. Courtship and mating generally
take place between April and June. Courtship involves the female
and male facing each other with their noses almost touching,
then slowly swinging their necks and heads from side to side
many times.
Females select an open site of sand, loam, or decaying
vegetation, or sometimes a muskrat or beaver lodge to lay their
eggs. Females have been found traveling long distances to find a
nesting location, but sometimes use the same site from previous
years. The nest is dug three to seven inches deep, with a narrow
entrance leading to a bowl-shaped chamber below. Twenty to 40
eggs are typically deposited, with larger females laying more
eggs than smaller females. The eggs hatch after an incubation
period of roughly 100 days (though it can range from 55-125 days
depending on temperature and humidity). Hatchlings are about one
inch long, and are born with a small yolk sac attached to the
center of their plastron, which they absorb over several days.
The most vulnerable time for a snapping turtle is while it is a
hatchling. They can fall prey to hawks, herons, crows, large
fish, alligators, raccoons, snakes, and larger turtles.
Hatchlings spend most of their time in the water, hiding in
vegetation.
Snapping turtles, which can live at least 30 years in the wild,
are generally nocturnal. During the day, they bury themselves
into the bottom mud or sand, and wait for prey to swim by. Young
turtles feed mainly on small invertebrates such as insects,
leeches, worms and aquatic plants. Adult snappers eat aquatic
plants, fish, insects, crayfish, amphibians, and occasionally
small mammals and ducklings.
With their intriguing appearance and secretive nature, the
common snapping turtle proves to be a fascinating aspect of
Oklahoma wildlife.