Old-school fishermen used to go out of their way to remove any alligator snapping turtle living in their favorite spot. They’re such adept hunters that people often accuse them of depleting fruitful fishing sites. Possibly thanks to their unique adaptation that allows them to catch fish with ease, alligator snapping turtles are almost entirely carnivorous. The alligator snapper sits with its mouth wide open, wiggling their lure to attract fish. The alligator snapper is one of the hallmark ‘ sit and wait‘ predators. Common snapping turtles readily include aquatic vegetation and roots in their diets. They’re also more opportunistically omnivorous. Common Snapping TurtlesĬommon snappers are likely more involved in active hunting behavior, especially as young turtles. When potential prey animals swim close, they snap them up. They sit at the bottom of the pond and blend in with the mud and plants. Snapping turtles will readily hunt or scavenge almost anything they can swallow, including:īoth turtle species are ambush predators. That’s because their populations are thriving, and their range is extensive. Most people are more likely to come across a common snapper than an alligator snapper.
While common snappers aren’t quite as large as alligator snappers, they’re still the largest native turtle in much of their range. Their heads are rounded, too, and their eyes face forward. Common snapping turtles are dark in color and often covered in mud and algae.
Their tails are dead giveaways when comparing them to other native turtle species. Their shells become rounded and smooth, especially in old individuals.Įven after their shells smoothen out, they still have impressively long and spiky tails. The common snapper looks more like a ‘regular’ turtle on steroids. The largest turtle reportedly weighed nearly 300 pounds! They usually max out around 175 pounds with a 32-inch shell. Last but certainly not least – alligator snappers are enormous. The alligator snapper has fleshy, eyelash-like growths around the perimeter of their eyes. They’re the only turtle with that type of adaptation, which they use to attract prey. When these turtles open their mouths, you can also see their bright red, fleshy tongue lures. Their tongue lure looks like a wriggly worm! Their heads are angular, taking on an almost triangular appearance from above, and their eyes are positioned on the sides of their head.Īn alligator snapping turtle’s beak (mouth) is hooked at the end to help them catch live prey and tear away flesh. Even their skin seems tougher, with more bumps and wrinkles. They keep their spiky ridges into adulthood. Alligator Snapping TurtlesĪn alligator snapping turtle has a more prehistoric appearance overall. Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to tell these species apart based on their physical appearance. Otherwise, babies of both species have the same physical differences as adults. That’s why it’s easier to differentiate adult common snappers from adult alligator snappers. The alligator snapping turtle keeps their ridges throughout its entire life. Both species have three distinct, keeled ridges running down their carapace (upper shell) as hatchlings.Īs common snappers mature, the dorsal ridges become smaller, and the shell smooths out. Baby Common Snapping TurtleĪs babies, the differences between the alligator snapping turtle and common snapping turtle are a tad harder to notice. Neither species makes a good pet, but the common snapping turtle is probably better suited for captivity due to its smaller size and calmer temperament.īaby Alligator Snapping Turtle vs.The alligator snapping turtle has a prehistoric appearance, with a spiny shell and rough appearance.The common snapping turtle looks more like a “regular” turtle, with a smooth shell and rounded head.Both species primarily eat meat, but the common snapping turtle also eats aquatic plants and roots.The common snapping turtle has a more extensive range covering much of eastern North America.The alligator snapping turtle‘s range is limited to the southeastern United States.Scientists believe both species can live for over 100 years.Baby Common Snapping TurtleĬommon Snapping Turtle vs Alligator Snapping Turtle Common Snapping Turtle vs Alligator Snapping Turtle.