Michigan’s Common Snapping Turtle
September 30, 2008
Female Snapping Turtle, photo by MTU_Flickr.
Regular readers may recall TurtleGate ’08. Some of you may have even been consumed by worry that this terrapin tangle would go unresolved. Fear not, for thanks to a happy find while researching the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, I can finally put the michpics universe back on firm & factual footing.
MTU Flickr says that this little lady was looking for a good place to lay some eggs in the Seney Wildlife Refuge during sunset. It’s part of their excellent Nature Made set, a collection of photos “mostly set in the Upper Peninsula” that should probably be viewed as a slideshow.
The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) and probably (other than the elusive cougar), the Michigan animal you most want to be wary of. From the U of M Animal Diversity Web’s page on the common snapping turtle:
Snapping turtles are not social creatures. Social interactions are limited to aggressive interactions between individuals, usually males. Many individuals can be found within a small range; snapping turtle density is normally related to the amount of available food. Snapping turtles can be very vicious when removed from the water, but they become docile when placed back into the water. Snapping turtles sometimes bury themselves in mud with only their nostrils and eyes exposed. This burying behavior is used as a means of ambushing prey.
Snapping turtles will eat nearly anything that they can get their jaws around. They feed on carrion, invertebrates, fish, birds, small mammals, amphibians, and a surprisingly large amount of aquatic vegetation. Snapping turtles kill other turtles by decapitation. This behavior might be territoriality towards other turtles or a very inefficient feeding behavior.
You can read much more about these agressive amphibians from the link above and also the Michigan DNR and Wikipedia. Also check out this video of a common snapper attacking a camera to get an idea of how fast they can move if they want to!
You may want to go back and read the other post too as it now has information about the wood turtle in Michigan.
November 16, 2008 at 3:06 pm
You called the snapping turtle an amphibian, it is a reptile. Thank you. Matt
June 6, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I really dont think snapping turtles are really all the dangeress! pEOPLE SAY THEY CAN BITE A FINGER OFF BUT THEY ARE JUST TURTLES! Dont mess with them and they wont mess with you!
June 6, 2009 at 7:03 pm
No! i called them a turtle!
June 6, 2009 at 7:05 pm
If anyone have sonething to say just email me!
August 12, 2009 at 10:02 pm
almost all of the time if you encounter a snapping turtle in the water they will swim away from you very quickly. they are also know to have come up to people and bump them with there nose. and never pull one by its tail you can severely injure them.
July 19, 2011 at 7:38 pm
we’ve had a snapper (we named it nessie) live in our pond for going on 4 years. as we walk around the pond, it follows us, awaiting a hot dog or two. it loves to take a shower when we run the garden hose in the pond, getting as close as it can to the fast running water.
July 16, 2012 at 6:06 am
[...] snappers are dangerous if molested on land, they are less likely to bite under water. Read more snapping turtles on Michigan in Pictures! Share this:FacebookTwitterEmailMoreDiggStumbleUponPrintRedditLike [...]
November 13, 2012 at 8:14 pm
I found a newly hatched snapper on my door step back in late Sept. I assumed it was dropped by a bird, although we live along the river and have acres of flood plain…we will never know where it originated, however we gave it food and water but the turtle was interested in either one and headed north. That evening at 1 am I was outside shutting off garden lights when guess who decided to return…the little snapper. I have her in a 10 gal. Aquarium and she loves it. I don’t understand how these little creatures can hatch so late in the year in Battle Creek, Mi. And survive our cold winters? My only intention is to care for it until its able to care for itself, at which time we will release it.
November 13, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Very cool. Can you email a picture or upload it to our Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr or our Michigan in Pictures Facebook?
Also, any herpetologists out there with some tips?
Turtles will dig themselves into the muck and freeze the winter away. I’ll post something on Michigan in Pictures about it soon!
November 13, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Very cool Cindy. Can you email me a picture or upload it to our Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr or our Michigan in Pictures Facebook ?
I also asked to see if any herpetologists (reptile experts) had some tips for you.
Turtles will dig themselves into the muck and freeze the winter away. I’ll post something on Michigan in Pictures about it soon!
Thanks for being a reader of Michigan in Pictures!
-Andy