alligator snapping turtle

[Tleilaxu]

Alligator snappers are not as high strung as common snappers but to trade off they have a nasty bite and huge size. Do not get one.

 

[Pennywise]

This is from an old post I made

About 10 years ago we went to the Int Breeders Expo in Orlando. I already had
a big turtle tank then and I stopped at a booth where they had 1 inch long
Florida snapping turtles. I didn't know the babies were that small and anyway
I had to have one so we got it. After about 6 months it had grown to about
5 inches so we let it go in a local pond (Florida Native).
My guess is after about 10 years it probably weighs about 40+ lbs. If want
to come to Florida I can show you where we put it. Ha Ha! Just Kidding!
__________________

 

[Bigboy]

I'd like to see our "eight legged friends" do half the damage a big animal like this could.

Please don't try and create a fictious image of this animal based on how you feel about them rather than fact. Have you ever had direct contact with adults longer than a few minutes or hours or do you only speak what what you have seen on television or seen on the internet? I have, I've cared for them for months at a time and observed the behavior of adults, hatchlings and everything in between. Size does not matter when it comes to arachnids remember that. Anyone who surfs these boards should have a clear understanding of that. Think of Phoenuetria sp or any androctonus, recluse, or widow to name a few. So none of this nonsense please. I'm sure it annoys you when people talk about arachnids, myriopods and insects as ruthless monsters that should never be attempted to be raised in captivity. You can imagine how much it bothers me and other herp enthusiasts here.

 

[Tleilaxu]

If you have the space and the time and money go right a head! I have always wanted but 9 out of 10 the animal just gets stuck in a bad situation.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I'm sure it annoys you when people talk about arachnids, myriopods and insects as ruthless monsters that should never be attempted to be raised in captivity. You can imagine how much it bothers me and other herp enthusiasts here.

I AM a herp enthusiast, sir. Can we please avoid the self-righteous attitude? I don't consider it fearmongering to suggest that a wild animal with over 1000 lbs of bite force is going to do a LOT more damage than any tarantula if something goes wrong.

 

[wicked]

*sigh* I knew this thread was going to suck me in sooner or later.


Billopelma- That hatchling is darling


I can't speak from the same level of experience as the posters who have long term firsthand experience with snappers. (in general, not just the alligator in question) but I grew up catching snapping turtles in the creek and stock ponds all the time.

#1- I have yet to see one that was a mindless killing machine bent on removing human limbs.
#2- The majority of the ones I caught were out of the water on a muddy bank when I found them. ie. Not in the water (doesn't happen alot, but it does happen)
#3- I would not let my children near a mindless killing machine bent on removing human limbs (see picture) Mr Snappy here was caught (you guessed it) on the muddy bank of a pond. We later put him back, but not before taking some pictures and letting the kids get a first hand look at him. He never once offered to bite. He only hissed a few times, and that was if we picked him up to move him.



In all honesty, if a person has the space and the means to meet their proper care requirements for the lifetime of the animal I see no reason not to keep one. The only drawback may indeed be life expectancy. The critter will outlive you. But I guess you could always leave the big boy to your grandkids.

 

[Ewok]

You also don't want to be responsible for a potential invasive species. That's even assuming it COULD survive in that environment. They are native to the United States and parts of Canada, and may not be suited to live in warmer regions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle#Distribution_.26_habitat

Please also note that:

There are alligator snappers in Florida , so I think they would probably would do quite well in the Philippines too.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

There are alligator snappers in Florida , so I think they would probably would do quite well in the Philippines too.

Which is probably a very bad thing. Even if there's not other snappers to breed with, it could still do a lot of damage to any native species in the area that will fit into its mouth.

 

[Randolph XX()]

You also don't want to be responsible for a potential invasive species. That's even assuming it COULD survive in that environment. They are native to the United States and parts of Canada, and may not be suited to live in warmer regions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle#Distribution_.26_habitat

Please also note that:

I don't think so too
we have alligator snappers in Taiwan, which were release from the hobby into the wild and established as a foreign species
my neighbor got a quite large one when he was fishing near the dam

 

[LHP]

Finally found this link. What a timely article for this.

Once again, I don't like folks portraying these guys as monsters that might be a threat to people, but at least they mention Gamera!

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=162

Lindsey

 

[Spider-Man v2.0]

wow, cool but it has over 1000 pounds of bite force, its one of the top 2 strongest biteing animals.
it can bite ur hand of when it gets big enofe.

 

[maarrrrr]

Which is probably a very bad thing. Even if there's not other snappers to breed with, it could still do a lot of damage to any native species in the area that will fit into its mouth.

hey i'm not planning on letting it roam free.

 

[Gigas]

i guess it all boils down to, are you stupid enough to put your hand near enough to the mouth of the snapper to get bitten, not a handleable looking creature to begin with. the normal snappers look quite cool, but i wouldnt want to keep them in a murky tank so best not get one then.

 

[maarrrrr]

i'm not that stupid. i don't even handle my ts except for times when it is needed. i'll be keeping the snapper in a pond with fresh water.

 

[Gigas]

i wasnt saying you were, im just saying its pretty easy just to not get bitten, i wouldnt suggest getting one unless you have the space though

 

[Grim91Z]

Which is probably a very bad thing. Even if there's not other snappers to breed with, it could still do a lot of damage to any native species in the area that will fit into its mouth.

It would certainly ruin the current ecosystem over there.

Speaking of Alligators and snapping turtles
http://animalpicturesarchive.com/an...gator_eating_softshell_turtle-by_CCRieker.jpg

 

[Barbedwirecat]

OK, I'm not sure if someone mentioned this in here yet or not, alot of posts to read through, I am pretty sure these animals are now protected. They were being killed off in rather large numbers for meat in the USA. It would then make them illegal to keep as pets in the US, and I am not talking about the original poster who lives in the phillipines... I do know for a fact that you are not allowed to keep native wildlife as pets, if you can find it in your state (unless population had been released), its native, therefore illegal to keep even if you bought it from a petstore. I am almost positive unless you are a licensed rehabber there is not "paperwork" you can get.

Let me tell you a little story about my friend the red eared slider. I was living in NJ a few years ago and a stoped my beaten up Volvo in the middle of the road to rescue a red eared slider that got hit by a car. I patched up its shell and cleaned out its wounds and rushed it to the turtle rescue center near me. Checking on it a few weeks later I got told a funny thing I had no idea about.
Almost all Red eared sliders are pet releases. they are really native to mexico and texas, and most outside of this range are pet releases that have started to breed in the wild. I was shocked considering every pond and lake in NJ is chock full of these guys.

"Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are probably the most commonly kept reptile in the world. Their home range lies in the Mississippi Valley drainage, with most of the population occurring in the US from eastern New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, eastern Kansas, and Missouri north to Indiana and Illinois. They also occur naturally in isolated pockets in other states such as Ohio, and are common in regions of northeast Mexico adjacent to Texas. However, "feral" populations, derived by deliberate introduction or from dumped or escaped pets, have become established in suitable habitat all over the world including other parts of the US. "

I do not agree all of these animals are mean killing mahcines, some are more feral than others. BUT if you do purchase this animal, understand the consequenses of having it if anything happens. Also understand the AMOUNT of money you will need to spend for filtration (EVEN FOR A BABY, they are VERY messy eaters) AND lighting (my constant ranting of UV light here too) Heat and UV for growth.

Personally any pet I would ever purchase with the plan of tossing it back in the wild....I wouldn't purchase, that just cruel. It is not fair for the turtle to have a stable habitat and grow big and fat on constant feedings know exactly where the next meal is coming from and condition him to this over years and years, and then toss him back into the wild to fend for himself. It would be like setting a baby bird free after you taken care of it for years and years.
a interesing note about turtles too....they have homing instincts. I almost gaurentee he will roam around for a long time in search of his old home, no matter how nice his new home is leaving him suceptable to native predators. Not to mention all of the native diseases and parasites he would be thrown into. And thats just mean.

 

[Yareus]

Chelydra serpentina:

 

[LeilaNami]

Ok. 1. Snappers are ambush predators. They aren't going to chase you around your backyard.
2. They are fairly messy eaters and eat A LOT so prepare your wallet for a very good filtration system and for the amount of food you will be buying. Some will take things other than live fish as long as you start them early but you will have to target/tong feed if it's not moving.
3. In the event of a bite, larger individuals will do a lot of damage. If you want to handle while they're young (and while a normal man can pick them up ), the safe method is picking them up by the tail and support the very back of the shell (NOT around the mid section).
4. Make sure to put a fence around your pond and signs up to prevent curious neighbors from harassing your turtle and ending up injured. (Usually the Beware of Dog signs are good enough.. Beware of giant turtle is just asking for it )
5. They inhabit our lakes here so freshwater is perfectly fine

 

[Tarantula_man94]

These things get freakin huge like over 200pounds and can bite ur arm off like butter, i dont reccomend one of these guys.

that is true. this turtle is not for the novice and I issue stong coution with this turtle.