Nature Articles - The Snapping Turtle                          

The Snapping Turtle - A Low Tech Expert
By Carol Mundy, Naturalist

In this busy world of high-tech gadgetry, it is nice to come across something low-tech that works well. The snapping turtle is a living example of low-tech at its best. A model of efficiency, the snapping turtle expends energy only when absolutely necessary. With a highly developed sense of smell, the snapper is always able to find food. They can lie in wait for prey to come by, or eat carrion if it is more readily available. In fact, about 50% of the diet is carrion and vegetable matter. Snappers are often blamed for taking young ducks and muskrats, when in reality this type of live prey is only about 2% of its diet. The rest of their diet includes insects, crustaceans, amphibians and small fish.

Snapping turtles are aquatic and can exist in a wide variety of watery habitats. In nearly every waterway, pond, lake and stream, it is likely you could find the snapping turtle. They seem to be especially fond of shallow areas with soft mud bottoms, but will take advantage of water wherever it is. There is some research to show that snappers can change the pH of their blood to help make the most of low oxygen situations, such as long periods underwater or in mucky, nitrogen rich farm ponds.

The snapper is the largest turtle in Ohio. They appear to be heavily armored and thickly fleshed. The carapace (top shell) has been measured at 20 inches across (nearly the size of a hub-cap!) The plastron (bottom shell) seems skimpy in comparison, but in reality it serves the snapping turtle well. Less shell weight allows for better buoyancy in the water and free movement of their very muscular legs. Snappers can grow to weigh in excess of 35 pounds.

Quite a bit of mystery surrounds this prehistoric-looking beast. This may be because unless you’re specifically looking for snappers, you only get a fleeting glimpse of this aquatic turtle as it retreats below the surface of the water. Snappers are not as likely to be found basking, as other turtles may do, but rather they float near the surface of the water with only their face showing. At the first sign of trouble the snapper would rather dive and hide than stand and fight.

However, a snapper on land is a very different story. When snapping turtles are on the move overland, they may be searching for a better pond, a mate or a safe place for egg laying. They are much more vulnerable on land, moving in a somewhat clumsy manner. But don’t try to approach a snapper on the move, because that seemingly clumsy manner will turn into a surprisingly fast strike to bite!

Unfortunately, when snapping turtles decide to move across land, they may move across streets and consequently, be accidentally struck by a motorist. Despite looking like an armored tank, the snapper cannot sustain the weight of a car rolling over it. Trying to assist the turtle in this endeavor can be quite a harrowing experience. You may believe your role is to be a good Samaritan but the turtle believes you to be an attacker and will continually strike out. Don’t be fooled by what looks like a short stout neck, because an adult snapping turtle can extend its neck about 2/3 the length of its shell in all directions!

Males and females are pretty much indistinguishable from a distance and given a snapper’s colossal attitude, it is unlikely you would feel the need to know for sure! Mating season here in Hamilton County is April and May, then the female will lay eggs in late May and June. Females alone will seek out a place for their nests. Generally soft soil, mulch, compost and sand are good sites. This means you could find a female snapper near your home, digging in the mulch around your shrubbery to make her nest. A nest site could be selected nearly a mile from any major water source. Once she lays as many as 80 ping-pong ball size eggs, she gently covers them with whatever material she dug out and leaves them to incubate on their own. She doesn’t guard the nest, nor will she even recognize her young when she meets them at the pond. As these eggs incubate, incredible magic occurs. The sex of the developing baby snapping turtle is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. For example, if the temperature of the nest is right at 73 degrees, the clutch will hatch as all males, but if the temperature climbs to 77 degrees, then all will hatch as females! Most of the time, there are varying temperatures within the nest, so the eggs in the center may be warmer than those on the outer edge of the nest. This means both male and female young will develop. Between 60 and 90 days later, the eggs hatch and tiny turtles, about an inch in diameter, claw their way out of the nesting material and instinctively scoot to a water source. It is still a mystery how the young know to find their way to water. These tiny turtles are perfect miniatures of their parents, but their shells are soft and leathery for a few years. This fact means they are defenseless against hungry raccoons, birds and even adult snapping turtles.

When the opportunity presents itself, take advantage of seeing snapping turtles. Looking at them is like looking back in time. Their prehistoric appearance hasn’t changed much in the last 200 million years. Basically, mother nature’s design was so good, it didn’t need to be upgraded.