The Alligator Snapping Turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. Its prehistoric features such as a camouflaged and ridged carapace, hawk-like beak, and oversized claws set the species apart from other freshwater turtles. Although it used to be plentiful, it's numbers are now dwindling due to over-harvesting and loss of habitat.

This shy turtle can be found in canals, slow moving streams, rivers, lakes, and swamps around the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Of all these areas, it prefers the stillness and darkness of swamp bottoms the most.

Lurking at the bottom of a swamp, the Alligator Snapper sits with his powerful jaws open waiting for unsuspecting prey. The younger ones will use a pink wormlike lure under their tongue to attract small fish, and other potential food. Macrochelys temminckii is a generally omnivorous reptile. Ours have dined on fish, amphibians, crustaceans, small mammals, water fowl, acorns, water cabbages, and, purple hyacinth...pretty much anything offered.

These reptiles seldom leave the water. The females do so only to lay eggs, which is about every 3 years. A clutch will contain 24 to 36 eggs, but they vary widely. The female will generally leave the water at dusk to excavate her nest, and sometimes doesn't return to the water until sun up. In 100 to 110 days, the hatchlings will emerge, and make their way to the safety of the water themselves.