Snapping Turtles
Species: Clelydra serpentina, Common Snapping Turtle
Habitat: Fresh and brackish waters with soft mud bottoms. 1 or 2 egg clutches per season laid in cavities on land. 25-50 eggs per clutch.
Range: North America east of the Rockies, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Food: Invertebrates, carrion, aquatic plants, fish, birds, and small mammals.
Status: No special status; eaten as human food source.
Species: Macrochelys temminckii, Alligator Snapping Turtle
Habitat: Freshwater; deep waters of large rivers, canals, lakes, swamps, and rivers. Hatchlings and juveniles usually live in small streams. Egg clutches laid in cavities on land. 8-52 eggs per clutch.
Range: Southeast US river systems that drain into the Gulf of Mexico.
Food: Alligator snappers have a small pink worm-like lure in the back of its mouth to attract fish. Also eats various invertebrates, worms, snails, aquatic plants, and other turtles.
Status: Endangered in Indiana, Illinois; Rare in Missouri; eaten as human food source.