Snapping Turtle

The common snapping turtle is Wisconsin's largest and heaviest turtle species. Its carapace can vary from light brown to black in color and it has a saw-toothed back edge. The tail supports a row of jagged dorsal scales and is nearly as long as the carapace. The head has large jaws and a pointed snout with a prominent beak. Its long neck, powerful jaws and aggressive behavior have rightly earned the snapping turtle its name. The often yellowish-colored plastron is greatly reduced, leaving the limbs very exposed from the underside. Snapping turtles live in most aquatic habitats but prefer ponds, lakes and the backwaters of rivers. Both a predator and a scavenger, the snapper feeds on aquatic animals and plants.