How to Tell the Difference in Snapping Turtles
- 1). Compare the size of the turtles. The common snapping turtle rarely exceeds 18 inches long and although some can reach weights of around 60 pounds, the average weight falls within the 30 to 40 pound range. The alligator snapping turtle is the largest of all freshwater turtles, with some attaining 30 inches in length and weighing as much as 200 pounds.
- 2). Look for the three ridges on the back of the shell of an alligator snapping turtle. They are very pronounced and go from the front to the rear of the shell to the rear. The common snapping turtle lacks these features.
- 3). Look at where you encounter a snapping turtle to help identify it. The alligator snapping turtle rarely, if ever, leaves its aquatic home. Only the females will venture a few yards from the water and that is only to lay their eggs. The common snapping turtle can live for as long as two weeks out of the water, according to the Tortoise Trust website, as they migrate overland from one body of water to another. Common snappers will bask in the sun on logs or rocks near the water; alligator snapping turtles will not.
- 4). Look at the positioning of the eyes on the head of a snapping turtle. If it is a common snapping turtle, the eyes will be more toward the top portion of the head. The alligator snapper has eyes on the side of its head.
- 5). Look for the wormlike tongue of the alligator snapping turtle. This species possesses this very special adaptation and will wiggle it under water to bring curious fish and other aquatic creatures closer so it can snap its powerful jaws shut on them. The common snapping turtle lacks this feature.
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