Snapping Turtle Information

Snapping Turtles

General Info

Florida Snapping Turtles are found throughout Florida and many adjacent states. They can be distinguished from Alligator Snapping Turtles (pictured above), which are protected by Federal Law and are therefore illegal to sell, because their ridges and beaks are not as large and sharp as the Alligator Snapper. Males are smaller than females in overall body size, but have longer tails. Healthy Snapping Turtles can live anywhere from 50 to 300 years. They can become somewhat aggressive if allowed to grow large, but still make excellent pets. Regular handling will keep them hand-tamed.

Snapping Turtles are quite intelligent, and can learn to respond to their names. Feed your turtle the proper amount of food each day (overfeeding can be fatal). Snapping Turtles prefer dried shrimp bits or live fish. To train it, hand-feed it occasional treats such as bits of raw lean hamburger, raw chicken livers, tiny live fish, or dried shrimp tidbits. Snapping Turtles frequently love having their heads gently rubbed, and will stretch out their necks and rub their heads against your finger.

Never drop your Snapping Turtle, or let it fall off the table. The impact can kill it. Your child(ren) will enjoy playing with this curious, energetic pet, but should always be closely supervised.

Important Note #1: SNAPPING TURTLES WILL GROW TO THE SIZE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT. If you want your Snapping Turtle to stay small, you must keep it in a small tank. Do not put your Snapping Turtle in a large tank (i.e. 10 gallons) unless you want it to grow HUGE! Snapping Turtles placed in large tanks or ponds can grow to 4 FEET in diameter.

Important Note #2: HANDLING A TURTLE WILL NOT MAKE YOU SICK. The salmonella bacteria is a form of e-coli, which lives in the G.I. tract of nearly every living creature, including humans. Most people have a natural immunity to this bacteria, which is why the disease is rare. In order to get sick, you would have to let your turtle’s water get so filthy that it’s black and stinking--and then drink the water. Simply handling a turtle will not cause or spread disease. (See cleaning tips below.)

Creating The Proper Habitat

Keep your Snapping Turtle in a warm room, but do not place its tank in front of a window. Too much direct sunlight and/or heat can kill it. Heat lamps and water heaters are not necessary, and in fact can be dangerous to your Snapping Turtle if used improperly.

Never fill your tank with more than a few inches of water unless you also provide your slider with some kind of raft, dock, or floating log to climb on. Your Snapping Turtle will drown if it cannot rest on something solid and still poke its head out of the water. Also remember that Snapping Turtles are primarily meat-eaters. If you put a Snapping Turtle in your fish tank, it may eat your fish (even the big ones).

Snapping Turtles need to climb out of the water every day for at least a few hours. That helps dry out their shells, which keeps them healthy. If its shell starts looking unhealthy, make sure to keep a calcium block in its water.

Cleaning The Tank

Your Snapping Turtle’s water must be cleaned at least twice a week. Turtles are messy eaters, and will defecate in their water. In rare cases, dirty water can lead to disease (see above) for both turtles and humans. Fortunately it’s very easy to clean a turtle tank. Simply empty the dirty water and gravel into a kitchen strainer, rinse the gravel under running water, and pour it back into the empty tank.

If you plan to include fish or tadpoles, etc., in your turtle’s tank so it can hunt, you can buy expensive de-chlorination chemicals to treat your Snapping Turtle’s water, but why waste the money? Simply fill a clean, empty milk jug with water, and let it sit out uncovered overnight. Then fill your Snapping’s tank with that naturally-aged water. A single milk jug can last for two or more weeks. If you do not plan to let your turtle hunt, you can use regular tap water.

With proper care, your Snapping Turtle will be the easiest pet you’ll ever own. Enjoy!