The alligator snapping turtle hunts fish and reptiles just as ferociously as its namesake. A piece of wiggly red flesh on the tip of this reptile's tongue lures fish to within range of its pointed jaws; one snap can slice a victim in two. If cornered by a person, the turtle will stand its ground and fight rather than retreat into its shell.
Quick Kills: The alligator snapping turtle's upper and lower jaws both end in a sharp beak-like point. In addition, the edges of the reptile's jaws are sharp, so a quick stab and slice can instantly cut a small victim in two.
Slasher: This turtle often has to wrestle with larger prey. Long claws on its front legs tear through a victim's skin and help shred it into pieces.
Won't Back Down[]
This turtle hisses when it's ready to launch an attack; it will definitely bite humans.
The alligator snapping turtle got its name from its ridged shell, which looks like the scaly skin of an American alligator. Because of this spiked armor and its sharp jaws, this reptile has few enemies in the wild-except for humans. When cornered by humans, the alligator snapping turtle opens it mouth wide and lets out a loud hiss. If threatened, the turtle won't hesitate to bite-and its jaws are strong enough to sever a person's finger.
Throwback: This reptile is sometimes called "the dinosaur of the turtle world" because of its rugged shell, deadly jaws and long tail, similar to the appearance of a dino.
Stay Down: Alligator snapping turtles are reptiles, so they have to breathe air. However, these creatures can hunt or rest at the bottom of a lake or river for up to 50 minutes without coming to the surface.
Alluring[]
- An alligator snapping turtle settles down on the bottom of a lake to set up an ambush for prey. It rests on the sand, camouflaged in the weeds, and opens its mouth, revealing a red, worm-like extension on its tongue. The turtle wiggles the "worm" to attract a nearby fish.
- The fish is lured in by the bright, wiggling bait and swims near to investigate. The fish lunges after what it thinks is a meal and, just then, the turtle snaps its jaws shut and crushes the fish with a single bite.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The alligator snapping turtle's card number is exactly half that of it's common relative.
- The alligator snapping turtle is featured in Give 'Em A Hand! on Monster Mania 28.
- The turtle is referred to simply as "snapping turtle" in the game's answers.
- The subheading "Won't Back Down" is likely a reference to the 1989 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers song.