Alligator Snapping Turtle

Tortoise Native to North America

This is the largest tortoise in North America: it can reach up to 80 cm in length and weigh up to 100 kg. Despite its impressive size, it is known for its powerful jaw, which can easily crush a bone.

It lives in the rivers and streams of the southeastern USA. It can stay submerged for 40 to 50 minutes before surfacing to breathe. This ability allows it to patiently wait for its prey, using its pink, worm-like tongue as a lure to attract fish.

The shell of this solitary and highly discreet species quickly becomes covered in algae, turning it into an inert rock that unsuspecting prey does not avoid. This impressive camouflage strategy makes it almost undetectable in its natural habitat.

Only females leave the water during nesting. They dig nests in the soil where they lay their eggs and sometimes return to the same site year after year.

Heavily used in canneries for soup production, its geographic range has significantly decreased, and it is now protected in certain states. The alligator snapping turtle is a dangerous species: its ownership is restricted to breeding facilities or establishments open to the public. It is important to note that despite its reputation as an aggressive creature, most attacks result from provocation or improper handling of the animal.

Click here to discover and visit the A Cupulatta tortoise park near Ajaccio.