alligator snapping turtle

[Mr_Baker4420]

oh yeah, about being found solely in fresh water, we find them here in brackish water(mixture of salt and fresh water) all the time. thats what the marshes are. brackish water. maybe a little more on the fresh side, but brackish nonetheless.

 

[Wade]

Just a few points:

1. Yes, they can grow to tremendous sizes, but it takes decades to get them there. It will be years and years before a 6"-er is going to be big enough for housing to be a big problem. As already noted by those who actually know something about them, alligator snappers are very lethargic animals. Frankly, the common red-eared sliders are much more difficult to keep, they need more space even though they are much smaller! It will probably be 20 years before it would need anything biger than a 40-gallon.

2. They can learn to accept non living foods from forcepts, including pre-killed rodents and cuts of meat.

3. The original poster is in the Phillipines, US law does not apply there. There may be a CITES violation, but maybe not depending on when it was imported. If the seller has the right papers it's perfectly fine.

4. The alligator snapper was only very recently added to the edangered species list. Those already in captivity are fine.

5. Yes, they have a powerful bite, but they have much shorter necks than the smaller common snappers. They don't run, and they can't reach out far. If you can resist the urge to put your hand in their mouths, you can avoid being bitten

6. North Carolina is too far north for alligator snappers to live outdoors unless the pond is heated, which isn't very practical. Keep it indoors if you want it to live.

7. While it is difficult to find homes for many large, unwanted pet reptiles like Burmese pythons and green iguanas, not so with alligator snapping turtles. These are rare enough that a keeper with an unwanted specimen would find a line of willing takers, especially outside the US.

So, while I can't say this is a good idea (not for me to decide), keeping one isn't that big a deal. Howver, be aware that if cared for well, you'll need to make arrangements for it in your will as it will outlive you.

Wade

 

[psionix]

i'll also add that they DO NOT bask, and the ONLY time they leave the water is when the female goes to lay eggs.

 

[ta2edpop]

For one thing to care for it properly you would need specialized filteration, fabricated plumbing, and housing appropriate for such an animal. Being a retired herpetologist I can assure you that you do not have what it takes to care for this properly. i have spent 30 years in research with Chelydra serpentina and to some degree this animal. Also, these are protected by United States Law as an endangered species.

These animals have specialized hunting and feeding habits. The cost to feed this animal would be more than one might wish. It will not take non-living food items. It requires live fish only. Additionally, they can strike as fast as any rattle snake with a bite force of upwards of 1000lbs. Put two bovine fermurs in it's mouth and watch it break both in half in one bite. Be sure and update us all as to your condition when you get out of the hospital. if you can write with the other hand.

This is not an animal that can be cared for easily. It is also not a pet in any sense. Forget the turtle and move on to a baby lion. Safer.

Odd. All mine have taken a wide variety of food. From fish food to catfish pellets.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

6. North Carolina is too far north for alligator snappers to live outdoors unless the pond is heated, which isn't very practical. Keep it indoors if you want it to live.

They've been found as far north as Canada. :?

 

[Crono]

They've been found as far north as Canada. :?

The Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temmincki) is not native to Canada.
The Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) does have a range that goes into Canada. I have personally been bitten by one roughly an inch in diameter. I am not going to find out what a larger one could do. This was in Ontario along the St Lawrence Seaway, roughly an hour west of Montreal.

Also, the Alligator Snapping Turtle is CITES listed, but the Common Snapping Turtle does not appear to be CITES listed. Someone might have a Common Snapper that was being sold as an Alligator Snapper. Photos would help.

 

[jarrell]

6. North Carolina is too far north for alligator snappers to live outdoors unless the pond is heated, which isn't very practical. Keep it indoors if you want it to live.

thanks for the tips, but I see alligators and common snappers in ponds all the time.

thanks mushroom spore for answering my qustions yeah It would be in my backyard, winters are mostly okay but it can frost, would I need a heater?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

If you definitely see them locally, then there should be no problem. I guess they hibernate down in the mud or something when things freeze over? You'd need to ask someone with actual experience to be sure, but I imagine that's what they'd do.

The Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temmincki) is not native to Canada.

"There is a population of them within a swamp near Glencoe, Ontario. It was confirmed by researchers from the University of Western Ontario who investigated claims of a dead 48 inch (nose to tail) turtle that was hit during the evening on a highway near the swamp. They were confirmed to be alligator snapping turtles, with at least 8 that are fully mature in the relatively small swamp and creek."

 

[jarrell]

I think Im pretty straight with my plans now, thanks. but you said that I would need to fence it from any birds of preys. do you think I would need to tent the fence? or just fence out the sides? thanks again.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I think Im pretty straight with my plans now, thanks. but you said that I would need to fence it from any birds of preys. do you think I would need to tent the fence? or just fence out the sides? thanks again.

The fence would be more in case of...I dunno. With other turtles that come out of the water, you'd have to worry about everything from dogs to cats to foxes to raccoons, as well as any hunting bird big enough to carry it off. Small alligator snappers might be safe from most of those, due to staying in the water, though I don't think it's worth the risk if you're going to have a fence anyway.

If you CAN somehow fence not only around the pond, but with some sort of screen over it as well, that should keep out pretty much everything, including animals that can climb.

 

[LHP]

Here is a range map:

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/turtles/mactem.htm

In a way, common snappers have some traits (especially their knobby tails) that can make them look more like an alligator than an alligator snapper. They can also be quite variable in appearance, leading to some confusion.

Lindsey

 

[jarrell]

hmm im not sure if my alligator is a alligator. when it was out of its cage it look just like a minature alligator snapper, but after a quick search i found a picture of a common snapper juvie, it looked similar but I doubt the site knew much about turtles(pbs.org).

 

[8ball]

Those thing's can bite about as hard as a hyena maybe even a little harder, they would be cool to own just dont get bit by one lol

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Those thing's can bite about as hard as a hyena maybe even a little harder

I think it's about equal, both are turning up Google results of "about a thousand pounds of bite force."

Which is to say, ouch.

 

[Crono]

If you definitely see them locally, then there should be no problem. I guess they hibernate down in the mud or something when things freeze over? You'd need to ask someone with actual experience to be sure, but I imagine that's what they'd do.



"There is a population of them within a swamp near Glencoe, Ontario. It was confirmed by researchers from the University of Western Ontario who investigated claims of a dead 48 inch (nose to tail) turtle that was hit during the evening on a highway near the swamp. They were confirmed to be alligator snapping turtles, with at least 8 that are fully mature in the relatively small swamp and creek."

I might be wrong.
I cannot find anything else except the Wikipedia article you quoted so it may be an isolated population. The article doesn't have that paragraph referenced and no date is mentioned, making it harder to verify but I will admit that there could be some in Southwestern Ontario.
At least we can hope

 

[billopelma]

hmm im not sure if my alligator is a alligator. when it was out of its cage it look just like a minature alligator snapper, but after a quick search i found a picture of a common snapper juvie, it looked similar but I doubt the site knew much about turtles(pbs.org).

Here's a regular 'ol common type massachusetts one, found it in my basement last year. I see hatchlings crossing the road all the time around this time of year, if it's easy to pull over I stop and toss 'em in the nearest water. Saw a mink run out and grab one the other day. When i was a kid I'd keep one every so often, for a month or two. 'Till I got sick of cleaning up after it anyway, they're wickedly messy eaters. If they get hold of something too big to gulp down, they'll haul it to the deepest, darkest part of the tank, pin it into a corner with they're mouth and franticly shred it to bits with the two front feet, like digging a hole. I saw more than one tadpole meet that fate...

Bill

 

[dtknow]

Dunno about alligators, but normal snappers can climb wire fences.

 

[Mistwalker]

One person said they commonly eat them where he lives. Common snappers are a game species in many places, but alligator snappers are endangered. Most likely, you saw them eating common snapping turtles, which I've eaten myself. (REALLY not worth all the trouble of cleaning them)

In Missouri, where I live, it's legal to take both common snappers and soft shelled turtles (they are considered game species), but the rest are protected.

 

[Scorp guy]

okay some of you are right about some things, but some of you are all together exaggerating. i live in southern louisiana and see these guys all the time. you can find them in just about any marsh, swamp, or ditch here. they eat fish mostly. they can't extend their necks twice the length of their bodies. if they could it would be impossible to pick them up, and believe people pick them up. they eat them. i've never eaten one, but i've watched people clean them(aka butcher them) they can extend their necks pretty far but not that far. most people that get bitten by them get bit on the hands and feet. who sticks their torsos or faces by giant turtles? i've never seen nor have i hear of one eating chickens, or cows, or alligators. they just lay on the bottom of a pond, marsh, or bayou and wait for a fish to swim right up to their mouth. that's about the extent of their "specialized hunting tactics". they do have very powerful bites though, and when you cut their heads off they are still capable of biting your fingers and toes off several hours later.

I'm not sure if your reffering to a common snapper, or alligator, but some who just "gets a bite on their hands or feet" definatley lost some meat, a limb, or died, because being bitten by an alligator snapper isnt like a baby RES, i know for a fact it'd easily kill you, if you were close enough to it....

And either way, unless someone is prepared to spend $1,000's of $$$ for a proper filteration system, food, housing,etc. then they should not have one.

As for extending necks, i agree....i dont think it could extend THAT far, but quite some distance im sure.

I wont go far to question you though, Mr. baker as for someone who lives near the habitat of an alligator snapper, i would think your knowledge is pretty good.

 

[Arietans]

Originally Posted by 8ball
Those thing's can bite about as hard as a hyena maybe even a little harder


I think it's about equal, both are turning up Google results of "about a thousand pounds of bite force."

While it is equal in force, a Hyena's bite is not as fast, nor are the teeth all that sharp. It relies on pure strength to break bones. So instead of biting your finger off, like the snapper, it will crush it.