Snapping Turtle

Chelydra serpentina

The Snapping Turtle is an aquatic species, although it tends to venture away from the water during the early spring for mating season. It can be quite large, with a long tail and neck that it can extend and retract. It is usually dark gray, green, or black. It feeds on a variety of invertebrate, small vertebrate, and plant species. While snapping turtles have a reputation of being highly aggressive on land, they are usually quite docile and timid when in their aquatic habitats, and prefer to flee when approached by humans.