 |
Caring
for Your New Snapping Turtle |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Amphibians Axolotls Caecilian Worm Chaco Toad Mud Puppies Newts General Newts Eastern Newts Golden Newts Mandarin Salamanders Suriname Toad Tadpoles Terrarium I Terrarium II USA Toads Water Dogs Misc. Toads Frogs Bull Clawed Dumpy Dwarf Fire-Belly Floating Green Tree Leopard Pac Man Pipa pipa Pyxie Red-Eyed Tree Tomato Misc Frogs Misc Frogs II Misc Frogs III Misc Frogs IV Misc Frogs V Animals
Birds Kids
at Pet Expo 5
Snakes Alive Sulcata
Grindal
Worms
Decorating
How
to Start
Sponge
Filters
Pet World Visit |
 LAIs this baby alligator snapping turtle cute or what? Bet you'll keep this guy out of your mouth. Origins: Snappers grow wild in
Protected Species: Like
most of the turtles and reptiles in
Isaac F., December 27, 2009
Just something I noticed on your website, thought you would like to have some more information LA. On your Snapping Turtle page, you have listed that you cannot have a snapping turtle "alive" in the state of Iowa and you say below one of your pictures "Sorry, you can't keep snapping turtles in Iowa." If you legally buy one from a dealer/breeder you can own them as pets. Also the law in Iowa states that as long as you have a valid Iowa fishing license you can have up to 100 pounds of live turtles, or 50 pounds "dressed", either common snapping, softshell or painted turtles caught from the wild. If you purchase an additional license you can have an unlimited amount of live turtles. http://www.iowadnr.gov/fish/regulations/turtle.html http://www.iowadnr.gov/license/commercial.html Here is a link to the illegal turtles to have in Iowa without a special permit. http://www.iowadnr.gov/wildlife/files/wildinfo.html Just FYI. A: Hey, thanks. I read IDNR's website and their printed regulations. You are so right. I'll add your correction to my snapper page. LA
Federal Restrictions: If you could keep them, federal law requires snapping turtles (and other turtles kept in captivity) to measure at least four inches from front to back – not counting their head or tail. Name Origin: Snapping turtles rarely flinch from threats. They attack rather than run. They snap first and ask questions later. Most turtles shrink into their shells. Snappers will not fit into their shells. They’re too big. So rather than try to hide, they bite.
Biting Beak: Snappers have no teeth. None needed. They have a hard beak with a sort of hook on the top and a smaller hook on the bottom. With this beak, they can bite thru flesh quite easily – yours included. Urban legends insist snapping turtles can bite thru a broom handle. Fat chance. However, they can bite painfully. Built-in Fishing Lure: Snappers loaf on the bottom with their mouths wide open. Their tongue looks like a pink worm. Look in the mouth of the baby snapper at the top. Snapping turtles wiggle that worm as small fish swim past. Any fish that swims in for a tasty snack winds up as the tasty snack.
Submariners: Snapping turtles can loaf on the bottom for 20 minutes without snorkeling up for air. Water Conditions: Snappers will live in fouler water than you’d want to keep in your house. However, give your snapping turtle frequent water changes, or your nose will regret it. Appeal: People like snappers because they fear their reputation. Supposedly, snappers can bite a broom handle in half – not likely in real life. Maybe in thirds?
Size: Snappers grow to nearly two feet. Their tail gets almost as long. And look out for that very long neck that can snake out and get you. Most people carry the big ‘uns by the tail. Hold snapping turtles away from your leg. Loners by Nature: Snappers never run in packs. They don’t get along well with each other except when breeding. Breeding: Female snapping turtles lay their eggs in June and July. They lay 20 to 40 half-white, half-pink “ping pong” balls in moist sandy soil. Their eggs hatch about 100 days later. Baby snappers taste good to large birds, bullfrogs, large fish, and some snakes. Hatching Factors: Snapping turtle eggs incubating in wetter soils absorb more water and yield bigger turtlettes. When incubated at cooler temps, the eggs yield males. Warmer incubation temps yield females. Foods: Snappers eat whatever they encounter – even aquatic plants. Some will crawl up on the bank and eat dead animals. Yes, they will even eat commercial turtle foods. Snapping turtles probably get better food in captivity than they stumble across in the wild.
2006 Pix: Here's some more photos we took this year.
Samantha Woolley, Ontario, Canada, November 29, 2006
I was looking at your site. To be more specific, it was the page on Snapping Turtles. I noticed you were holding it by the tail. You probably already know this, but you should never hold a snapping turtle by its tail. You can kill it by doing that. Its spine goes through the tail, so you can disconnect the spine by doing that. And also, the page on painted turtles, where you have the picture of the painted turtle climbing out of what it was in, and the caption says "Don't think painted turtles can't climb. Snappers can't, but these guys can." I do not agree with that. Snapping turtles can climb out of things like that too! I am speaking from experience, they can climb. I just thought I would tell you these. And yes, I know what I am talking about. I volunteer at a place called the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre, located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. A: Thanks for the info. I did not know that and will add it to my page if my computer ever works again. LA
2008 Pix:
© 1999, © 2003, © 2004, © 2007, © 2008, © 2010 LA Productions
3600 Sixth Avenue Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues Des Moines, IA 50313 515 283-0300
|
Anabantids
Betta Leaf Betta Breed 1 Betta Breed II Betta Info Betta Housing Betta Pla Kat Choc Gourami Climbing Perch Gourami Pix Kiss. Gourami Osphronemus Pearl Gourami More Pearls Paradise Fish Snakehead Spawn Gourami T. trichopterus Catfish Banjo Bullheads Bull Sharks Channel Corydoras Cory Pics Electric Glass Hoplos Otocinclus Pangassius Pictus Plecostomus Pleco Bristle Pleco Costly I Pleco Costly II Pleco Costly III Pleco Costly IV Pleco Costly V Pleco Costly VI Raphael Red-Tail Shovelnose Sun Synodontis Synodontis petricola Turushuki Catfish Upside-down Misc Catfish Misc Catfish II Misc Catfish III Misc Catfish IV Misc Catfish V Cichlids African I African II African III African IV Amer. Small Amer. Med Amer. Large Angelfish I Angelfish II Angelfish III Angelfish IV More Angels Buttikoferi Chocolate Chocolate Spawning Cichlid Decor Cichlid Food Convicts Convicts 2 Convicts 3 Convicts 4 Dempseys More Dempseys Jack Dempsey Spawn Discus Dither Fish Flower Horn Green Terror Jaguar More Jaguars Jaguar Spawning
Jaguar Spawning II
Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon
Koi III
Misc Odd V Pond Info |
||||||||||||||||||
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
MG
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA
LA