But, many of them don't live very long. When they are hatchlings, lots of other critters prey on them, including birds, raccoons, cats, dogs, fox and other turtles.
But, their main predator is people. Many people hunt them for meat -- ever heard of turtle soup? Fortunately, there are now turtle farms that raise turtles commercially. And some states protect turtles so that they can't be hunted. In addition to problems with predators, snapping turtles also have problems finding a place to live. A lot of their natural habitat is being changed by people, making it unfit for turtles. So if you see a snapping turtle, you'll know how important they are and how important it is for us to protect them.
Want to know more about Minnesota's water? Skip to main content. Macmillan Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York. Animal Diversity Web Cybertracker Tools.
All rights reserved. Skip directly to main content. Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species. Critter Catalog. Information Pictures Classification. Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina What do they look like? Other Physical Features ectothermic bilateral symmetry Range mass 4. Biogeographic Regions nearctic native What kind of habitat do they need? These animals are found in the following types of habitat temperate freshwater Aquatic Biomes lakes and ponds rivers and streams Wetlands marsh swamp How long do they live?
Average lifespan Status: wild 30 years Range lifespan Status: captivity 47 high years Average lifespan Status: captivity Key Behaviors diurnal motile solitary territorial How do they communicate with each other? Communication Channels visual tactile chemical Perception Channels visual tactile vibrations chemical What do they eat? Primary Diet omnivore Animal Foods mammals amphibians reptiles eggs carrion insects mollusks Plant Foods leaves algae What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?
Known Predators great blue herons Ardea herodias raccoons Procyon lotor striped skunks Mephitis mephitis red foxes Vulpes vulpes largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides bullfrogs Lithobates catesbeianus northern water snakes Nerodia sipedon American crows Corvus brachyrhynchos Do they cause problems?
Ways that these animals might be a problem for humans injures humans bites or stings How do they interact with us? Ways that people benefit from these animals: food Are they endangered? Bosch author , University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Compared to other turtles, there is a much wider variety of things you can feed snapping turtles. You can feed a snapping turtle just about any type of feeder fish, or other live bait such as crickets, snails and worms. You can also feed your snapping turtle pellets. When it comes to vegetables, I recommend feeding your snapping turtle roman lettuce, collard greens, spinach, or kale.
The floating pellets are cool because you can see the snapping turtle swim to the surface and eat it. Another one of my favorite thing to feed snapping turtles is live bait. This is because it is the most natural, and it also helps keep them active and healthy.
In my opinion, the best snapping turtle food is crickets. If you are unable to get crickets, I would recommend the pellets that I mentioned above. The amount you should feed your snapping turtle is dependent on their age. From 5 months until they reach their full size, you should feed them every other day.
Once a snapping turtle reaches full maturity and becomes their full size, you should only feed them times per week. For a baby snapping turtle that is 5 months or younger, you should feed them once or twice a day. Baby turtles have to eat more than older turtles since they are growing so much.
As omnivores, snapping turtles require a diet that is from both animal and plant sources. If feeding pellets or insects, you should feed the snapping turtle the amount that is roughly the size of their head. For vegetables, you should give the snapping turtle around 5 leaves at each feeding.
Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons or periodic condition changes. Male sperm storage also occurs, as sperm are retained in the male epididymes in mammals for a period that can, in some cases, extend over several weeks or more, but here we use the term to refer only to sperm storage by females.
Carr, A. Handbook of Turtles. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. Conant, R. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. Niering, W. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York.
Porter, K. Saunders Company, Philidelphia. Whitfield, Dr. Macmillan Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.
To cite this page: Bosch, A. Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe.
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