Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Chelydridae American Snapping Turtle Status: Uncertain Diagnosis: The snapping turtle is a massive freshwater species that is unlikely to be confused with any other species in the area. The shell of juveniles is rugose with a saw-toothed posterior margin. As individuals age the shell becomes smoother and old adults can be completely smooth shelled. The plastron is relatively small and cross-shaped and the tail is relatively long, almost as long as the carapace. Biology: The snapping turtle is a highly aquatic species that rarely leaves the water except to nest. In its native range can be found in most aquatic habitats, including brackish water though it is most commonly observed in slow moving or still bodies of water with a muddy bottom and an abundance of aquatic vegetation. The specimens from Guam were all captured in or near large rivers. Snapping turtles are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant material. They can bite savagely and should be handled with extreme caution. Distribution: The native range of the snapping turtle stretches from Canada, through the eastern United States and south as far as Ecuador (Ernst and Barbour 1989). In 1998 several individuals, including hatchlings, were captured in the vicinity of the Talofofo and Pago Rivers on Guam (Leberer, 2003). An intensive attempt by DAWR to determine the status of these turtles on Guam in 1999 and more recent surveys by one of the author failed to detect this species. Ernst C. H. and R.W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institute. 313 pp. Leberer, T. 2003. Records of Freshwater Turtles on Guam, Mariana Islands. Micronesica 35-36 pp 649-652. |