Many people are familiar with the fact that snapping turtles have an incredibly strong bite. They use their strong jaws and sharp beak not just for defense but also for catching food. So what do snapping turtles eat? Here’s what you’ll want to know.
Snapping turtles are large turtles with elongated snouts and long tails. They are known for their tendency to snap with their sharp beaks, which is how they got their name. Most encounters people have are with the common snapping turtle, which is the most widespread species.
The alligator snapping turtle on the other hand is much larger (often weighing over a hundred pounds), even more prehistoric-looking, but is not seen as often. These two species have similar yet slightly different diets and methods for catching food.
What Do Common Snapping Turtles Eat?
Common snapping turtles typically live in freshwater although they sometimes can be found in brackish water as well. They inhabit ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. These turtles actively hunt for food and usually in shallow water with muddy bottoms.
As omnivores, their diet consists of a wide variety of both plants and animals. They are also predators and are known to eat just about any type of prey that they can get into their mouths. Common snapping turtles eat fish along with frogs, snakes, and a range of invertebrates. They also catch and eat small mammals, ducklings, and even sometimes adult ducks as well.
Common snapping turtles eat other turtles too. Because they also scavenge part of their diet comes from dead fish and animals that they find in the water.
Because snapping turtles eat meat it is often used as bait, particularly if it is strong-smelling, to lure them into turtle traps. Trapping and relocating them is the most humane way to get rid of snapping turtles when they have gotten into farm or backyard ponds so that they don’t eat the fish.
What Do Alligator Snapping Turtles Eat?
The alligator snapping turtle is a very large turtle (known to reach weights well over a hundred pounds) with a big head and thick shell that has three distinct sets of spike-like ridges. They are typically only found in the Southeastern United States where they inhabit freshwater rivers, sloughs, and creeks.
The alligator snapping turtle is an opportunistic omnivore. They scavenge and also eat a variety of plant matter ranging from aquatic plants to things such as acorns and saw palmetto fruits. However, the majority of their diet comes from the fish which they catch using a unique method.
They lie completely still on the bottom of the water with their mouths open and wiggle a worm-like appendage to lure fish inside so they can grab them. Alligator snappers will also eat just about anything they can catch.
This includes crustaceans, worms, frogs, mollusks, and other turtles. Alligator snapping turtles eat snakes, waterfowl, water birds, and aquatic rodents. They will also eat animals that enter the water such as opossums, armadillos, and raccoons. This species is even known to catch and eat small alligators.
What Do Snapping Turtles Eat In Captivity?
In captivity adult snapping turtles are often fed a diet consisting of leafy greens along with meats such as chicken, pork, beef, frozen shrimp, and both live and dead fish. Baby snapping turtles eat smaller portions of these foods along with insects, various types of worms, and even commercial turtle foods.
While they may be cute and manageable when they’re small neither the common snapping turtle nor the alligator snapping turtle make good pets for the average owner. They simply get too big and are too aggressive.
Snapping turtles also have potentially dangerous bites and sharp claws. In some cases, these turtles can live over a hundred years which makes them a very long-term commitment. And in certain places, they may not be legal to own or purchase as pets.
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