Guess what I’m hauling in my wagon?
A Friend!
I love how cute and positive this post is but I am compelled to dress down the handful of comments sharing their sage wisdom that snappers are evil and will bite off your fingers/toes/entire hand. *inhale*
A SNAPPING TURTLE CANNOT BITE OFF YOUR FINGER!!!
That is to say, the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) cannot. It’ll hurt and leave a memorable scar, but won’t crunch bones. It is very abundant throughout its expansive range, which covers the entire eastern half of North America. The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is less common, grows much larger, and CAN bite fingers off. But its range is limited to the south eastern US and parts of the Mississippi River basin, and you will KNOW when you see one because its shell is covered in “I will kill you” spikes, and it weighs as much as an adult human (or at least a large dog).
To recap:
A friend. Will snap (but not your fingers off)
AAAAHHHHHHHHH (ok this one’s just a baby but you get it)
Also. Snapping turtles are not mean. The truth is, they only act “aggressive” because they’re defenseless on land. Their shells are too small to fully withdraw into, so the only thing stopping a racoon from gnawing off their legs or a dog from playing chew toy with them is that big scary mouth. They almost never bite in the water, where they are much more agile and can swim away from danger.
Snappers spend most of their lives in the water. They only come on land to disperse to other ponds, or in spring, to lay eggs. So just leave that mama be, and your digits are safe!
