Common Snapping Turtle

Common Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina sp.)
Distribution
Common Snapping Turtles are crepuscular/nocturnal Chelonia. Snappers range throughout the ponds, waterways, marshes and swamplands of Southern Canada through Central and Eastern USA. Common Snapping Turtles are hardy turtles which have been observed swimming under the ice in Northern most parts of their native range. This species turns up regularly in ponds and streams in the UK after being dumped. There are currently four subspecies recognized and these are the Common Snapping Turtle Common or Northern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina), the Florida Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina osceola), the Yucatan/Mexican Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina rossignonii) and The Ecuadorian Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina acutirostris).
Size
Common Snappers can reach sizes of up to 50cm (20 inches), roughly the size of a dustbin lid.
Diet
When choosing their food try to avoid fatty foods, especially large quantities of red meat as this may cause digestive problems later in life. Snapping turtles should be fed a varied diet in order to maintain a healthy balance in their diet. The diet will vary with the size of the animal, from earthworms, crickets, locusts, wax worms and molluscs through to fish, small mammals and small birds. New research is showing that snappers do have quite a high herbivorous intake in the wild, so it is worth while offering them aquatic plants such as Canadian Pond Weed and other salad items such as water cress, Chinese leaves, and dandelions.
DO not hand feed these turtles.
Requirements
Heat Source: - For the water, a thermostatically controlled water heater will be required. This should be well guarded. For the basking area, a guarded (and thermostatically controlled) reflector (spot lamp) will be required. This basking lamp should be turned off at night.
Ultra-violet Light – Although this species does not spend a lot of time on the land it is best to provide them with a Reptisun 5.0 for 10 to 12 hours per day. This should be positioned no more than 30cm away from the turtle as it basks and changed every 6 months. Power bulbs can be used in larger enclosures to good effect.
Thermostat: - All heat sources should be thermostatically controlled in order to prevent the Snapper from becoming too hot or too cold.
Filtration: - This is important to reduce foul smells and to keep the water clean. Under gravel filters do not work very well for snappers. You would be well advised to buy either a large internal filter or an external filter to help cope with the mess created by such creatures.
Land areas: - Two land areas should be available to your Snapper. One area should be for basking and have a heat source above it. The other area should be away from the heat source, to allow the Snapper to escape from the heat source. Ideally if you have female snappers you should provide a damp soil/sand mix near (not under) the heat source in order to provide a nesting site. This will help to reduce the risk of egg retention occurring. They are chicken layers and may produce eggs even if they have never been mated.
Housing: - Snappers grow extremely rapidly and will outgrow a small aquarium in next to no time. An aquarium of 180cm by 75cm by 60cm (72 inches by 30 inches by 24 inches) is adequate for an adult Common Snapper. Indoor pools are better facilities in order to maintain this species in as you can give more space and provide a more naturalistic environment for the turtle. These can be constructed in greenhouses, sheds, etc. This species should be housed singly and only attempted to be bred by experienced keepers.
Hides: - Aquatic hides should be placed in the water, in order to reduce stress in the animals.
Water: - These animals do not require vast amounts of water. The water should be of a depth of approximately twice the height of the animal or as a rough guide not much deeper than 10 to 15cm (4 to 6 inches).
Temperature
The water temperature should be in the region of 26 - 29.5°C (78 - 85°F) and should be maintained using a thermostatically controlled water heater. A basking area should be available with the temperature ranging from 28 - 31°C (82 - 86°F).
Longevity
Snappers have been known to live up to 60 years or more. Although this depends upon their husbandry.
N.B.
Snapping Turtles are highly aggressive animals and can give a painful bite if threatened. Snapping Turtles should be housed individually due to this aggressive temperament. Only minimal taming will occur with handling. These are definitely not suitable for a beginner.
Handling
Care should be taken when handling this species as it can reach its neck around almost two thirds of the body. It is best to pick the turtle up by the back of its shell. DO NOT pick the turtle up just by its tail as you will damage its spine.
NB A distribution map and a photograph can be found at http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/chelydracare.htm
Recommended Reading/Useful Contacts
Stuart Dodsworth – stuartandlynette@dodsworth2005.wanadoo.co.uk
The International Herpetological Society – www.international-herp-society.co.uk
The British Herpetological Society – www.thebhs.org
Taxonomy Information – http://srs.embl-heidelberg.de:8000/s...-bin/wgetz?-e+[REPTILIA-Species:'Chelydra_SP_serpentina']
www.chelydra.org – an excellent snapping turtle site.
Tortoise Trust – www.tortoisetrust.org
BCG – British Chelonia Group – http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/
www.chelonia.org
www.reptilekeeper.co.uk
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/chelydracare.htm