Snapping Turtle ( Chelonia )

The snapping turtle's face matches it's temper perfectly- snappy and harmful! It attacks anything that disturbs it, and can snap a broom handle in half with one bite. These turtles are found in North America, and prefer calm, muddy water to live in. Maybe this contributes to their mood- if I had to live in muddy water, I'd be pretty crabby too!

These nasty turtles eat fish and waterfowl, and are very snappy. They should never be handled without extreme caution. The way a snapping turtle lures food to itself is it attracts them with it's long, pink, wormlike tongue. Then, the fish automatically think "food", and get eaten promptly.

The turtle, unlike most, raises itself up like an alligator. It will lay it's eggs far away from the water. The baby turtles find their way to water by the sky.