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Common Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina sp.)
by Stuart Dodsworth
Distribution
Common Snapping Turtles are crepuscular/nocturnal Chelonia. Snappers
range throughout the ponds, waterways, marshes and swamplands
of Southern Canada through Central and Eastern USA. Common Snapping
Turtles are hardy turtles which have been observed swimming under
the ice in Northern most parts of their native range. This species
turns up regularly in ponds and streams in the UK after being
dumped. There are currently four subspecies recognized and these
are the Common Snapping Turtle Common or Northern Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina serpentina), the Florida Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina osceola), the Yucatan/Mexican Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina rossignonii) and The Ecuadorian Snapping
Turtle (Chelydra serpentina acutirostris).
Size
Common Snappers can reach sizes of up to 50cm (20 inches), roughly
the size of a dustbin lid.
Diet
When choosing their food try to avoid fatty foods, especially
large quantities of red meat as this may cause digestive problems
later in life. Snapping turtles should be fed a varied diet in
order to maintain a healthy balance in their diet. The diet will
vary with the size of the animal, from earthworms, crickets, locusts,
wax worms and molluscs through to fish, small mammals and small
birds. New research is showing that snappers do have quite a high
herbivorous intake in the wild, so it is worth while offering
them aquatic plants such as Canadian Pond Weed and other salad
items such as water cress, Chinese leaves, and dandelions.
DO not hand feed these turtles.
Requirements
· Heat Source: - For the water, a thermostatically controlled
water heater will be required. This should be well guarded. For
the basking area, a guarded (and thermostatically controlled)
reflector (spot lamp) will be required. This basking lamp should
be turned off at night.
· Ultra-violet Light - Although this species does not spend
a lot of time on the land it is best to provide them with a Reptisun
5.0 for 10 to 12 hours per day. This should be positioned no more
than 30cm away from the turtle as it basks and changed every 6
months. Power bulbs can be used in larger enclosures to good effect.
· Thermostat: - All heat sources should be thermostatically
controlled in order to prevent the Snapper from becoming too hot
or too cold.
· Filtration: - This is important to reduce foul smells
and to keep the water clean. Under gravel filters do not work
very well for snappers. You would be well advised to buy either
a large internal filter or an external filter to help cope with
the mess created by such creatures.
· Land areas: - Two land areas should be available to your
Snapper. One area should be for basking and have a heat source
above it. The other area should be away from the heat source,
to allow the Snapper to escape from the heat source. Ideally if
you have female snappers you should provide a damp soil/sand mix
near (not under) the heat source in order to provide a nesting
site. This will help to reduce the risk of egg retention occurring.
They are chicken layers and may produce eggs even if they have
never been mated.
· Housing: - Snappers grow extremely rapidly and will outgrow
a small aquarium in next to no time. An aquarium of 180cm by 75cm
by 60cm (72 inches by 30 inches by 24 inches) is adequate for
an adult Common Snapper. Indoor pools are better facilities in
order to maintain this species in as you can give more space and
provide a more naturalistic environment for the turtle. These
can be constructed in greenhouses, sheds, etc. This species should
be housed singly and only attempted to be bred by experienced
keepers.
· Hides: - Aquatic hides should be placed in the water,
in order to reduce stress in the animals.
· Water: - These animals do not require vast amounts of
water. The water should be of a depth of approximately twice the
height of the animal or as a rough guide not much deeper than
10 to 15cm (4 to 6 inches).
Temperature
The water temperature should be in the region of 26 - 29.5°C
(78 - 85°F) and should be maintained using a thermostatically
controlled water heater. A basking area should be available with
the temperature ranging from 28 - 31°C (82 - 86°F).
Longevity
Snappers have been known to live up to 60 years or more. Although
this depends upon their husbandry.
N.B.
Snapping Turtles are highly aggressive animals and can give a
painful bite if threatened. Snapping Turtles should be housed
individually due to this aggressive temperament. Only minimal
taming will occur with handling. These are definitely not suitable
for a beginner.
Handling
Care should be taken when handling this species as it can reach
its neck around almost two thirds of the body. It is best to pick
the turtle up by the back of its shell. DO NOT pick the turtle
up just by its tail as you will damage its spine.
NB
A distribution map and a photograph can be found at http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/chelydracare.htm
Recommended
Reading/Useful Contacts
Stuart
Dodsworth - stuartandlynette@dodsworth2005.wanadoo.co.uk
The International Herpetological Society - www.international-herp-society.co.uk
The British Herpetological Society - www.thebhs.org
Taxonomy Information - http://srs.embl-heidelberg.de:8000/srs5bin/cgi-bin/wgetz?-e+[REPTILIA-Species:'Chelydra_SP_serpentina']
www.chelydra.org - an excellent snapping turtle site.
Tortoise Trust - www.tortoisetrust.org
BCG - British Chelonia Group - http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/
www.chelonia.org
www.reptilekeeper.co.uk
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/chelydracare.htm
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