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Facts about Frogs , Amphibians, Reptiles, Fish & other Animals |
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Alligator Snapping Turtle |
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alligator snapping turtle is characterized by a large, heavy head and
a long, thick tail with three dorsal ridges of large scales
(osteoderms) giving it a primitive appearance reminiscent of some of
the plated dinosaurs. They can be immediately distinguished from the
common snapper by the three distinct rows of spikes and raised plates
on the carapace, whereas the common snapper has a smoother carapace.
They are a solid gray, brown, black, or olive-green in color, and
often covered with algae. They have radiating yellow patterns around
the eyes, serving to break up the outline of the eye and keep the
turtle camouflaged. Their eyes are also surrounded by a star-shaped
arrangement of fleshy filamentous "eyelashes."
There is an unverified report of a 403-pound alligator snapping turtle found in the Neosho River in Kansas in 1937, but the largest one actually on record is 236 lb, and housed at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. They generally do not grow quite that large. Average adult size is around 26 inches shell length with a weight of 175 lb. Males are typically larger than females. The inside of the turtle's mouth is camouflaged, and it possesses a vermiform (literally, "worm-shaped") appendage on the tip of its tongue used to lure fish, a form of Peckhamian mimicry. The turtle hunts by lying motionless in the water with its mouth wide open. The vermiform tongue imitates the movements of a worm, luring prey to the turtle's mouth. The mouth is then closed with tremendous speed and force, completing the ambush. The alligator snapping turtle possesses extraordinary bite strength, and can be quite aggress |
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FactFrog.com |
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