| Alligator Snapping Turtle | ||||||||||||||
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| Macrochelys temminckii Troost, 1835 |
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Macroclemmys temminckii |
The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world. Gerald Troost (1776-1850 was an American - Dutch medical doctor naturalist, mineralogist, and founding member and first president of the In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. George Albert Boulenger (born Brussels, Belgium, October 19, 1858; died Saint Malo, France, November 23 Johann Friedrich Gmelin ( August 8, 1748 – November 1, 1804) was a German naturalist, Botanist and Turtles are Reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the Crown group Chelonia) most of It is a larger and slightly less aggressive relative of the Common Snapping Turtle. The Common Snapping Turtle ( Chelydra serpentina) is a large freshwater Turtle of the family Chelydridae The epithet temminckii is in honor of Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. An epithet (from Greek ἐπίθετον - epitheton, neut of ἐπίθετος - epithetos, "attributed added" is a Zoology (from Greek ζῷον, zoon, "animal" + λόγος, " Logos " "knowledge" is the branch of Coenraad Jacob Temminck ( March 31, 1778, Amsterdam - January 30, 1858, Lisse) was a Dutch aristocrat and [1]
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Distribution and habitat
The Alligator Snapping Turtle is found in the Mississippi River and its tributaries throughout the Southeastern U. S. . They are also found in the Missouri River at least as far north as the Gavins Point Dam at Yankton, South Dakota. Yankton is a city in Yankton County, South Dakota, United States.
The largest freshwater turtle in North America, the alligator snapper keeps to primarily southern U. S. waters, while the smaller, more aggressive common snapper inhabits lakes and streams from South America to Canada. These turtles can remain submerged for up to an hour, and typically, only nesting females will venture onto open land.
Description
The 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. A carapace is a dorsal section of an Exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups They are a solid gray, brown, black, or olive-green in color, and often covered with algae. Black, when used as a general term is a color that is a Very dark Black, black, or Black, of low Luminance relative to Black is the Color of objects that do not emit or Reflect Light in any part of the Visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms They have radiating yellow patterns around the eyes, serving to break up the outline of the eye and keep the turtle camouflaged. Yellow is the Color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M (long and medium wavelength Cone cells of the Retina about equally Eyes are organs that detect Light, and send signals along the Optic nerve to the visual areas of the brain Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible Organism 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,[2] but the largest one actually on record is 236 lb, and housed at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The Neosho River is a Tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. 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. [3] Alligator snapping turtles can also range in length from 16 to 32 inches. [4]
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. A worm is a common name given to a diverse group of invertebrate animals that have a long soft body and no legs An appendage in the broadest sense is an additional or subsidiary part existing on or added to something which can generally still function if the appendage has never existed or The tongue is the large bundle of Skeletal muscles on the floor of the Mouth that manipulates Food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Biological mimicry occurs when a group of organisms the mimics, have 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 aggressive when cornered. These turtles must be handled with extreme care. [5]
Fossil history
Unlike the family Chelydridae as a whole, the genus Macrochelys is exclusively North American and is generally considered to contain three valid species: the extant M. In Biological classification, family ( Latin There are two extant Species of the family Chelydridae: Chelydra serpentina, the Common Snapping Turtle, and its larger relative Macrochelys A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. temminckii and the extinct M. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. schmidti and M. auffenbergi (described from the early middle Miocene of Nebraska and the middle Pliocene of Florida, respectively). The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the
Diet
Alligator snappers are opportunistic carnivores more often at a young age, but are also scavengers. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting As they mature they become omnivores and do not pose a threat to fish populations. Fishermen have glorified the species' ability to catch fish and deplete fish populations. Minnows are usually the main source of meat for the species at a young age. They will eat almost anything they can catch. Their natural diet consists primarily of aquatic plant life, dead fish carcasses (usually thrown overboard by fishermen), invertebrates, carrion, and amphibians, but they are also known to eat snakes, and even other turtles. An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate Carrion (from the Latin caro, meaning meat refers to the carcass of a dead animal Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Turtles are Reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the Crown group Chelonia) most of In captivity they may consume almost any kind of meat provided, including rodents, beef, chicken and pork although these are not always healthy on a day to day basis. In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from Pork' is the Culinary name for Meat from the domestic Pig ( Sus scrofa) often specifically the fresh meat but can be used as an all-inclusive
Reproduction and lifespan
Maturity is reached at around 12 years of age. Mating takes place yearly; early spring in the southern part of their total range, and later spring in the north. The female builds a nest and lays a clutch of 10-50 eggs[4] about 2 months later. The sex of the baby alligator snapping turtles depends on the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. Nests are typically excavated at least 50 yards from the water's edge to prevent them from being flooded and drowned. Incubation takes from 100 to 140 days, and hatchlings emerge in the early fall. [6]
Though their potential lifespans in the wild are unknown, alligator snapping turtles are believed to be capable of living to 150 years of age. In captivity, they typically live from anywhere between 20 to 70 years of age. [7]
In captivity
Alligator snapping turtles are often captive-bred as pets and are readily available in the exotic animal trade. Due to their potential size and specific needs, they do not make particularly good pets for all but the most experienced aquatic turtle keepers. Due to sheer size, handling adult specimens can pose significant problems. Despite their reputation, they are typically not prone to biting, but when antagonized are quite capable of delivering a bite with their powerful jaws which can cause significant harm to a human, easily amputating fingers. Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or Surgery. [8] Some states where alligator snapping turtles do not range (such as California) prohibit them from being kept as pets by residents. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
Conservation status
The alligator snapping turtle is primarily vulnerable to humans from habitat loss and hunting. Some are also hunted for their carapaces; the plastron of the turtle is valued by some because of its shape as a cross. The plastron is the nearly flat part of the shell structure of a Turtle or Tortoise, what one would call the belly similar in composition to the Carapace There are accounts of large (50+ lb) turtles being caught both purposefully and accidentally on recreational fishing lines called "trot lines. " Abandoned trot lines are thought to be even more dangerous to turtles. Soup made from snapping turtle meat is considered by many to be a delicacy. Turtle soup is a Soup made from the flesh of the Turtle, often the Green turtle or especially in the United States, the snapping turtle
This turtle is protected from collection throughout much of its range. The IUCN lists it as a threatened species, and as of June 14, 2006 it was afforded some international protection by being listed as a CITES III species (which will put limits on exportation from the United States). Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. CITES (the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments drafted [9]
The alligator snapping turtle is now endangered in several states, including Illinois.
References
- ^ Biographies of People Honored in the Herpetological Nomenclature North America. Retrieved on 2006-07-09. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
- ^ Smithsonian National Zoological Park: Alligator Snapping Turtle. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
- ^ Alligator Snapping Turtle: Giant of the Southeastern States. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
- ^ a b Kindersley, Dorling (2001,2005). Animal. New York City: DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7894-7764-5.
- ^ Alligator Snapping Turtle: Giant of the Southeastern States. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
- ^ Nashville Zoo: Alligator Snapping Turtle. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
- ^ WhoZoo: Alligator Snapping Turtle. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
- ^ NAS - Species FactSheet. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
- ^ Alligator Snapping Turtle and Map Turtles Gain International Protection. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
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