Alrightnowyoutellme (11 reveal) "Chelydra serpentina" Snapping Turtle

The common snapping turtle is most common in the south and eastern U.S., they can be found in ponds, lakes, rivers and along walking trails in Central Wisconsin which is where I came across this little fella. The common snapping turtle is a very crabby turtle; however when they are in the water they are less aggressive. We have found them hatching along the side of a gravel road and as they emerged from the hole where they were left they were already mad at the world. I picked one up that day and instantly his beak-like mouth open and was ready to take a chunk off my finger.

Snapping turtles in the wild can live for up to 30 years, but please do not get the notion that they would make a good pet; they are hard wired to be mean. A snapping turtle is very flexible so if you attempt to pick one up you may be surprised at how far back his jaws can reach. If you ever see a snapper trying to get across the road please think twice before you simply push him or drag him because you could scratch his underside on the pavement and cause damage to the turtle.

Snappers like turkey vultures eat carrion or dead things (mostly dead fish)...yuck, but will also eat crayfish, frogs, plants and algae.  The knobby shell of a snapper is called a carapace which smooths out with age, and the only real predators that they have are men and boys (and some women but women are generally smart enough not to take on the snapper, most guys are not).

The famous snapping turtle that made it to Hollywood
Toka or Rahzar...???