Keeping Snapping Turtles

Snapping turtles are some of the largest, weirdest and most fascinating freshwater turtles in the world.

Often to be seen offered for sale as cute little hatchling, although they grow more slowly than a typical slider terrapin, grow they most certainly do – some to an adult shell length of over 2ft (60cm) and a weight in excess of 12 stones (76kg). Add to this a lifespan of 20 years or more in captivity, and it becomes pretty clear that taking on a “snapper” is not something to be undertaken lightly – particularly given their often aggressive natures and large jaws!

Although these turtles are remarkably easy to keep, assuming you have sufficient space, they really aren’t something for the inexperienced, but for a committed fan, with proper care, snapping turtles can make successful pets – without injury or mishap to turtles or owners!

Snapping Turtle Species

There are two kinds of snapping turtles, the Common Snapper (Chelydra serpentina) and the Alligator Snapper (Macrochelys temminckii). Both species have large heads, long tails and stout legs; Common Snapping Turtles have a smooth carapace, while the shell of the Alligator Snapping Turtle has three distinct rows of spiny ridges running front to back along its length.

Although both types favour slow moving water and usually end up wearing a coat of algae over their shells, which enhances their camouflage, Alligator Snapping Turtles take the whole role of an ambush predator one stage further. The insides of their mouths are camouflaged – looking like the bottom of a pond – and they have a fleshy, worm-like appendage on the front of their tongues. For these turtles, hunting involves lying on the bottom, with their mouths open until something edible tries to make a quick meal of the “worm”; a quick snap of those horny jaws and it’s usually the snapper that ends up well fed!

Alligator Snapping Turtles are the larger species, the Common Snapper only growing to a typical carapace length of 16-20 inches (40-50) although of the two, the Alligator Snapper tends to have the better nature – though any beast of this size demands serious respect. Handling either of these turtles is not for novices – and even those with experience need to proceed with care.

Keeping Snapping Turtles

Hatchlings and juveniles can be accommodated in a suitably sized aquarium, but as they get older a very much larger heated tank or pond will be needed. The water should be shallow enough to allow the turtles to be able to reach up to breathe without having to leave the bottom, and although both kinds of snappers are almost entirely aquatic, they do enjoy a bask from time to time, so a large stone or log with a spot heater will also be appreciated. They’ll need a water temperature around 24-27 degrees C (75-80F), a warmer basking spot and an air temperature of around 28C (82F).

Within the water itself, submerged logs and rocks will make your pets feel at home and allow them to behave in a fairly natural way. Water quality is also very important so efficient filtration is essential, along with regular water changes to ensure that the turtles stay in good health.

Food And Feeding

In the wild, these turtles eat a range of items, including fish, frogs, snakes and other turtles as well as some plant material once they become adult. Suitable substitute foods include earthworms along with the full range of – frozen and well thawed – fish, pinkies and mice depending on their size. Adult Alligator Snappers seem particularly partial to plants, so they often appreciate the likes of water lettuce or water hyacinth in their tanks, so they can graze as the fancy takes them, as well as an occasional feed of fruits and vegetables such as grapes, apples or carrots.

Very long lived – reputedly to 150 in the wild – decidedly prehistoric in their appearance and each one seeming to have something of its own personality, the appeal of the Snapping Turtles is not hard to understand. However, keeping these admittedly fascinating creatures is not without its challenges both in terms of the space they demand and the physical damage they can potentially inflict.

One thing’s for certain, deciding to keep the world’s heaviest freshwater turtle – one Alligator Snapping Turtle is claimed to have weighed in at 22 stones 8lb (144kg) – is not something anyone should rush into!