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Alligator Snapping Turtle

Macrochelys temminckii

Photo by AshleyT
Published on Project Noah
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31.7621, -96.1581

Field Notes

Description:

State threatened species. They are the heaviest freshwater turtle in the world. Dark skin covered with tubercles and a dark shell with rows of raised knobs.

Habitat:

Caught in a pond with a lot of vegetation and water lilies in an oak forest at a national wildlife refuge.

Reference Links:

Alligator snapping turtle

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (14)
Tom15
What a wonderful beast, great find!
LaurenZarate
Ah hah! Great! If turtles swear, I am sure he is doing it…..
AshleyT
Thanks guys, and glad you changed your mind about it being nasty, Jolly. Lauren, I was holding it up. Aquatic turtles tend to all be grumpy, so you can get a shot like this with many of them, this just happens to be cooler looking than most :)
RandyL.
I don't think it leaped, looks like it's being held up.
LaurenZarate
Wow! I never saw one of these before! Amazing. What made it leap up and act so fierce?
AshleyT
I held it and I didn't think it was nasty in the least bit

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Texas Wildlife Photographers
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Herps of Texas
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National Geographic's Great Nature Project
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2014 Best Wildlife Photo
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Life on Public Lands

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Photographed
PublishedApril 9, 2014

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