Baby Common Snapper - gonna foster him! :D

[lizbud]

Poor little critter. I'm glad you found him & decided to keep him/her safe.

[Karen]

Cute turtle for sure. I think it is probably just a common snapper though. Unless you found yours in the coastal gulf area of the US it is probably not an Alligator snapper. Does it have a built in soft danglie bait looking thing in it's mouth. With baby turtles it is hard to tell the difference but since you live in Michigan I think it is just a plan snapper.

He's got a far pointier snout than the "regular" snappers I have seen ...

[ramanth]

I have seen adult Alligator snappers here. So they are around.

Via Wikipedia:
Alligator snappers are opportunistic carnivores more often at a young age, but are also scavengers. In northern states such as Michigan young hatchlings will live off of plants also, such as water lettuce and other floating grass, shrub, and flower-like organisms. They usually obtain this behavior when food is scarce or when it is early in the summer months.

Mating takes place yearly; early spring in the southern part of their total range, and later spring in the north.


It is possible he's a Common... he just seems more Alligatorish to me.

[kitten645]

I concur with Medusa. I PT'rs! Hearts of gold Thanks for taking care of this wee one.
Claudia

[kokopup]

While I value wikipedia as a source of information you must realize that it is edited and published by individuals like you and I. All information in Wikipedia is not accurate.

There are instances where the Alligator Snapper was found in Michigan and it was noted as a Nonindigenous occurances.

Interactive maps: Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean

Nonindigenous Occurrences: M. temminckii was captured from the Reflecting Pool, in the Mall area of Washington, D.C., in August 1994 (Katz, 1994).

In the St. Joseph River, Berrien County, Michigan, M. Brazo (personal communication 1999) found an alligator snapping turtle in 1999.

In Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, a M. temminckii was observed at Papago Park Ponds in 1987 and 1991 (M. Demlong, personal communication 1997).

A M. temminckii was collected near Elk Grove, Sacramento County, California (Bury and Luckenbach, 1976).

Means of Introduction: Unknown; but in all cases pet releases should be suspected.

Status: Inexplicably, the alligator snapping turtle found in Washington, D.C., was scheduled to be "relocated" to Roosevelt Island or in waters along the George Washington Parkway, D.C., according to Park Ranger E. Broadbent (in Katz, 1994); not established, but still well away from its indigenous range.

Macrochelys temminckii collected from Michigan and California, and observed in Arizona are probably individual releases or escapees, and not known to represent breeding populations.

If you indeed have a Alligator snapper it is really rare. It needs to be reported.

[K9karen]

You and Andy rock, Kimmy.

Snapper is lucky you found him. I think he's in good hands. He may never want to leave,

[blue]

Raise it, and train to protect all your stuffs!

[Barbara]

I had no idea what an aligator snapper is - so I am glad you posted pics. He/she ( is thre a way to tell that?) is absolutely cute and so lucky to have found you

[Medusa]

My son and friends had better never make fun of me and my rescue escapades again! LOL

[cloverfdx]

Great save Kimmy . He/ she is adorable . Goodluck, hopefully the little one grows up big and strong over the cooler months.

[ramanth]

Barbara, it's near impossible to sex at this young. At least, I don't think you could properly probe them when they are this small.

They say boys have fatter tails, but probing is more accurate but should only be done by professionals.

Mary, LOL!!

Found a cool site on the differences between Common and Alligator snappers.

http://www.chelydra.org/common_allig...ng_turtle.html

Been trying to find hatchling photos online and so many photos are mislabled (same photo stating it's a Common and an Alligator), I don't have anything to compare too.

But despite the really rugged shell and pointy nose, I think due to his wee long neck, I have a Common. But time will tell I guess. He's still just Snappy to me.

[ramanth]

He's a Common!

This story sounds familier.

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/turtles/snappy.htm

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/turtles/...to.htm#snapper

[king2005]

I'd keep him and feed him and fatten him up over the winter, and then release him next spring once the weather is warm. It's not his fault he was hatched so late in the season - we usually see baby snappers in the spring, but he's very vulnerable at this size. He's a snapper, so it's not like he's gonna "imprint" much on you like a duckling would - they seem to pretty much come with all instructions included.

I suppose, to be responsible, you could call the local Audubon Society ...

Karen it is NEVER recommend to do such a thing. Once the turtle is with a human for more then 1-2 weeks, it is permanently a pet & cannot be released. They need to live in the wild from day 1 in order to build up immunities to things in the water. Tap water cannot provide that & releasing him is certain death. Not to mention its more then likely highly illegal to release them & might be even more illegal if he is considered a pest in that area.

If the turtle is being kept over the winter, it needs a permanent home with someone who can house him when he grows into a beast. Not saying he'll be aggressive, as you all know Axle is anything but aggressive *kisses his nose*.

That Common Snapping Turtle can grow to 50lbs+. They need a min of 300gal tank when fully grown. If overfed you can cause it's liver & other organs to prematurely fail due to over use. In captivity you can expect 25-30yrs maybe a little less, maybe much more. Shouldn't be less then 20yrs (unless the turtle has natural issues)! They need a lot of veggies in their diet, meat, organs, & bone. In simple terms a whole mouse/fish/rat (fish being best & more natural. too much red meat isn't good). The owner needs to be prepared for a VERY aggressive pet. They can bite much faster then you can move & they don't let go.

In my opinion you should have left it outside, but moved it to a better area, as most do not make good pets & most people don't/can't take care of one properly as they get too big & too aggressive.

[king2005]

Cute turtle for sure. I think it is probably just a common snapper though. Unless you found yours in the coastal gulf area of the US it is probably not an Alligator snapper. Does it have a built in soft danglie bait looking thing in it's mouth. With baby turtles it is hard to tell the difference but since you live in Michigan I think it is just a plan snapper.

It's a Common Snapping Turtle. Looks nothing like an Ally Snapper.

[king2005]

I had no idea what an aligator snapper is - so I am glad you posted pics. He/she ( is thre a way to tell that?) is absolutely cute and so lucky to have found you

There are 3 Snappers

Common
Ally
Florida