The distinctive serrated tail is crocodilian in appearance and the same length as, or longer than, the shell. And the plastron, their bottom part of the shell, is very small when you compare it to other turtles. They are also omnivorous, the major difference is that they don’t hunt their prey. Yes they can. Popular musk turtles include the razorback musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) and the stinkpot also known as the common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus). In general snapping turtles won’t leave their aquatic habitat if they don’t have a reason. The first thing that is important to know about the force of the bite is that it’s relative to the size of the turtle. (With 20 Examples and Pictures). As such, it is best to be careful when handling them. This genus includes the species such as Apalone ferox (Florida softshell turtle), Apalone mutica (smooth softshell turtle), and Apalone spinifera (spiny softshell turtle). Be cautious, as many turtles – especially snapping turtles – will try to bite when frightened, so it is important to hold turtles on the sides of the back end of the shell. A baby alligator snapping turtle from where I live can take off a piece of your finger. Common snapping turtles can also bite hard enough to cause serious lacerations. Careful handling is the key to preventing bites. But for this episode, he’s brought in the lifelike test dummy to take the bite because as you’ll soon see the alligator snapping turtle is able to bite off fingers as easily as I’d take down waffle fries from Chick-fil-a. Another thing that differentiates them is that alligator snapping turtles have a much bigger mouth than the common snapping turtles. But in general snapping turtle don’t do it. Being bitten by a turtle may not seem like a big deal but it is important to remember that turtles carry salmonella. The alligator snapping turtle bites with a bite force of 160 Newton whereas, common snapping turtles possess a higher bite force of around 210 Newtons. The only times you have to handle your turtle are when it is needed. In fact, they do not have beaks at all. There have been documented cases of serious softshell turtle bites. I believe they aren’t aggressive underwater as they can easily swim away. When a turtle bites you this way they will bite and then let go very quickly. Here is a photo of that shows the plastron of a snapping turtle, and one that shows the plastron of a red eared slider turtle. You still don’t want to mess with them, but they are a lot calmer. Because turtles prefer dead smelly or fishy meals, you do not smell attractive at all to turtles. The first one is a quick bite, usually referred to as a snap. In such a case, a young pond turtle often becomes a meal for the large Snapping turtle. This turtle has a large head with a sharp hooked beak which delivers powerful bites. Gently moving an especially large or heavy snapping turtle on to your car mat is also a great technique that will keep you (your fingers!) A lot of people believe that turtles smell bad, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Some turtles may be more aggressive than others. A close relative, the ALLIGATOR snapping turtle … In general they live between 50 and 70 years. One of the more dangerous types of turtles is the snapping turtle. So, do not touch or place your hands near the front half body of the animal. They are very different than what you hear in those stories. These turtles are native to the United States and Mexico. These American turtles are commonly bred and make great pets. Turtles are one of the most popular house pets in the world. A close relative, the ALLIGATOR snapping turtle definitely is capable of doing severe damage. Softshell turtles belong to the family Trionychidae. Between the two species, the bite of an alligator snapping turtle is definitely more powerful and dangerous than the bite of a common snapping turtle. This turtle can be found from southeastern Canada to Florida. But again, snapping turtles in the wild do not bite … The snapping turtle, including both the common and Florida snapping turtles, and the alligator snapping turtle mostly found in lakes, streams, and freshwater where fish in abundance numbers. And during this time they are vulnerable, so they will feel threatened very easily. How Much Do Turtles Cost? A snapping turtle can cause serious damage to a careless handler. How Strong is Their Bite? Interestingly, softshell turtles do not have sharp beaks. Softshell turtle turtles are different from other turtles as they don’t have beaks. While their bites usually do not cause lacerations, it’s best to avoid getting bitten by a pond slider. So if you meat a snapping turtle on a road, or in another populated area, they are probably just trying to find a safe place to lay their eggs. They have spikes on their tearing , and on their skin, and they have a more pronounced and sharper beak, that is made for tethering through meat. What to Expect and How to Prevent. How long can a snapping turtle live? Now let’s see how dangerous a snapping turtle bite really is. The common snapping turtle has a jaw strength of 208 to 226 newtons. When a turtle feels very threatened they will bite you and then they won’t let go. Turtles don’t have a strong natural smell. So they can get pretty big compared to other turtles. But some specimens are able to reach even bigger sizes, sometimes reaching up to 19 inches. The best course of action is to stay away from wild turtles, especially snapping turtles (both the alligator snapping turtle and the common snapping turtle). Writer Bio. Hitting the turtle will only make things worse. But most of them are just exaggerations. We are a passionate group of writers and researchers who write about pet turtles and turtles in general. It’s easy to judge how dangerous a snapping turtle is just by the stories you hear about them. To prevent bites try not to handle the turtle often. When it comes to the meat they will scavenge, or actively hunt their prey in the water. And always try to handle them with care, If you properly handle a turtle there is no chance that you will get bittern, so avoid placing your hand anywhere close to its mouth. TurtleOwner.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Snapping turtles may bite in water if they associate your dock with food; if you have been fishing off the dock regularly, and then dangle a digit or limb it is possible that the turtle will mistake it for food. If you choose to Eat Snapping Turtle Meat, you can reduce your exposure by carefully trimming away all Fat and Internal Organs and discarding these Tissues before Cooking the Meat or making Soup. According to the 2002 study on turtle bite performances – Evolution of bite performance in turtles, the Apalone ferox has a bite force of 41.50 Newtons. This turtle was not acting aggressively. YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO GET BITTEN BY ONE. What makes the bite of a snapping turtle frightening are the sharp beaks, which can shear with a lot of force. These turtles are rugged-looking with their rigid carapace. These turtles can live for decades and become quite large (up to 30 lbs.). I decided to do some research on this subject, here is what I found out. Snapping turtles also have a potentially dangerous bite and have sharp claws. Many different subspecies are generally kept as pets; these include the red-eared slider and the yellow-bellied slider. Also, if the turtles are hungry and do not find food to eat, they tend to bite out of starvation. Box turtles look like snapping turtles and will bite but not as aggressively as an alligator snapper. Every year TurlteOwner.com makes the world a better place for thousands of pet turtles, but right now we are having trouble keeping the site online. While rare, a snapping turtle could potentially bite one’s finger off but this is very uncommon. Do not attempt to remove the turtle if for some reason it has bitten and held on. While toad-headed turtles have the strongest bites of any turtle, with a force of 432 newtons, the snapping turtle and snapping turtles are both still very serious threats to the animal kingdom. To dispel a myth, this man allows a 25lb snapping turtle to bite his finger during hand feeding. Snapping turtles can be dangerous. You can support our site and thousands of other turtle owners by contributing with a small donation. Yes, snapping turtles can bite your finger off, and there are numerous cases that have happened. Never pick a turtle up by the tail, as this could break their tail vertebrae causing a painful injury. Some people have tried to put alcohol where the turtle is biting and it seems to work, but i can’t guarantee that. The carapace, the top part of the shell is to small to efficiently cover their body. They have little interest in biting you, eating you or harming you when they are in the water; In fact, snapping turtles especially are very gentle and curious creatures when they are in the water. Box turtles are North American turtles that belong to the genus Terrapene. Turtles generally don’t like being handled. missingbite (7531) “Great Answer” (0) Flag as… ¶ Since they are unable to retreat in their shells they have no other option than to attack. Although these turtles are terrestrial they still belong to the American pond turtle taxonomic family Emydidae. Instead try putting the turtle into water, gently pour water over it, or wait until it releases the bite. Their shells are not big enough. Find a good box or a container that can fit the turtle If you are bitten, a turtle can be removed by being calm and placing the turtle in water until he lets go. It all depends on how you handle the situation. In nature, turtles tend to stay away from one another, except when they are basking in the sun on rocks and logs Turtles carry a lot of different bacterias that can be very harmful to humans. If a wild turtle seems very agitated you should try to keep your distance, it can always bite you if you get to close. The best way to protect your fingers is to keep them away, so don’t feed your turtle with your hand, you can just place the food on the ground. These turtles are generally not aggressive and as such are popular. There are actually two species of snapping turtles, these include the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) and the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). You should avoid picking up or handling wild turtles. We hope you will enjoy the site and that you will find what you’re looking for.​. Instead they lay on the bottom of the lake, or pound with their mouths open, waiting for the pray to get close to them. Snapping turtles have a very strong bite and powerful jaws that are designed to cut, not crush. Do snapping turtles attack other turtles? Vulnerable on land, they appear to be aggressive and fierce. The alligator snapping turtle can be found in the southeastern U.S. As these turtles are aquatic, they spend most of their time in waters. and the turt… These knife-like beaks are formidable biting tools. A bite from an adult red slider can cause a lot of bleeding and pain. This is because the alligator snapping turtles can get a lot bigger than the common ones. And even if turtles don’t take care of their eggs after they lay them, they will protect them while they are inside of them. As you may already know, turtles aren’t pets that you are supposed to handle or touch frequently. Before I show you some videos of how powerful the bite of a snapping turtle is, let me tell you a few tips on how to avoid getting bitten by a turtle. The snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is primarily aquatic, inhabiting freshwater and brackish environments, although they will travel overland. As such, they possess painful bots. In Malaysia – specifically Muar, there was a reported case of a Malayan softshell turtle (Dogania subplana) biting off a huge chunk of a local fisherman’s nose. The age that they reach generally depends on how harsh the habitat that they live in is. The turtle with the worst bite gotta be the snapping turtle. The ridges on the common snapping turtle’s shell are nowhere as prominent as that of the alligator snapping turtle. The most popular mud turtle kept as pets is the eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) also known as the common mud turtle. Your email address will not be published. These turtles are generally aggressive. Yes, alligator snapping turtles are known to attack other turtles. Pond sliders don’t possess powerful bite forces. This is because they are really easy to care for, and they are very cost-effective. link to How Much Do Turtles Cost? If you ever get bitten by a snapping turtle, chances are it would not let go. On land, they are rather slow and as such bite as a defensive mechanism. COMMON snapping turtles are capable of inflicting a painful bite, but they cannot tear off a finger or snap a broomstick in half. Can a snapping turtle bite your hand off? Softshell turtles and snappers are more likely to bite and these turtles can deliver very painful bites. When most turtles feel that they are in danger, they will retract into their shells. The snapping turtle is a aquatic turtle, this means that they spend most of their time in water. Occasionally, mutations occur in snapping turtles. If you are ever bitten by a turtle and the turtle doesn’t let go immediately, don’t hit the turtle. The snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in Canada, with adults weighing between 4.6 – 16 kg. And they can be found in almost the entirety of the eastern half of the United States, and in some parts of Mexico. A snapping turtle can exert a force of over 600 Newton when biting, but a human can exert twice the force between the second molars. While, some turtles are more prone to biting. If you own a turtle and you don’t want to get bitten than you should make sure that it’s well fed. Welcome to the site and we hope you find what you’re looking for. But a snapping turtle won’t do that, instead it will charge at it’s attacker and try hurt or scare it. While quite innocuous-looking, musk turtles can deliver powerful and painful bites. Turtles have different personalities and as such aggressive nature can differ from one individual turtle to another. Just like musk turtles, mud turtles are generally aggressive. Their bites can be quite painful, especially to a young child. There are 2 famous subspecies of snapping turtles (alligator snapping turtle and common snapping turtle) and both possess different jaw force when it comes to biting. The common snapping turtle is a traditional ingredient in turtle soup; consumption in large quantities, however, can become a health concern due to potential concentration of toxic environmental pollutants in the turtle's flesh. However, one type of snapping turtle, the alligator snapping turtle, has an impressive jaw strength of over 1,000 pounds – something which could definitely rip a human finger off. If you want to protect your toes then you should hide them, so don’t wear slippers, or any kind of footwear that will keep them visible. To dispel a myth, this man allows a 25lb snapping turtle to bite his finger during hand feeding. About snapping turtles. And the fact that they have a sharper beak also contributes to the danger. (With 20 Examples and Pictures), link to Do Turtles Smell? This is nothing compared to humans who possess a bite force of 300 to 700 newtons. Even commonly kept turtle species such as cooters, yellow-bellied sliders and red-eared sliders can bite when scared. On land the snapping turtle can become defensive as they cannot pull their head or limbs into their shell, and its sharp beak and strong jaws can cause injury if harassed. The alligator snapping turtle is also a aquatic turtle, so they also spend a lot of time in water. If your pet turtle has a feisty personality then it is best not to handle it often. But if you leave them alone they won’t present any danger to you. I am also a the proud owner of 4 turtles, as well as biological sciences student at Oxford Brookes University. The shell of this turtle is thick with three distinct ridges that look like the rough ridged skin of an alligator, thus its common name. Both turtles are apex predators although humans are known to hunt them. The biggest known alligator snapping turtle reached 31.5 inches. Don’t panic and don’t try to pull off your finger immediately. They are native Florida, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Snapping turtles are even capable of amputating a finger. The shell is light brown to black in colour, typically covered in algae, and measures between 20-36 cm. The reason why most turtles end up smelling is because... We are a passionate group of writers and researchers who write about pet turtles and tortoises. In some cases, these turtles can live over a hundred years which makes them a very long-term commitment. The most common box turtle kept as pets are the Common box turtle (Terrapene carolina) and its subspecies which include the Florida box turtle (T. c. bauri) and the Eastern box turtle (T. c. carolina). Snapping turtle jaw strength—while nothing to … Musk turtles belong to the genus Sternotherus. Snapping turtles have a very intimidating look, they have a sharp beak, spiked shells and dangerous looking claws, but are they really that dangerous? Turtles don’t care how they get their food as long as they get it. If you scare the turtle there is a good chance that it will fight back. If a turtle is hungry it will try to eat anything that it’s remotely close to food. A pet snapping turtle usually will not bite unless it is scared by rough handling or injured in some way. These turtles do bite; A snapping turtle can be quite powerful, although not as much as a human being. One other dangerous part about the bite that is mostly overlooked is that it can infect you with bacterias. So let’s see how dangerous a snapping turtle really is. The alligator snapping turtle is considerably bigger than the common snapping turtle, usually reaching sizes between 15 and 26 inches. With the sharper beak they will be able to penetrate the meat deeper, and they might also be able to tear if off. The bigger the turtle, the more power the bite will have. And one of them is considerably more dangerous than the other. The bite did not break the skin. The second type of bite is a lot more dangerous. Snapping turtles are native to North America. They also possess snorkel-like snouts. Let’s start with the more dangerous one the common snapping turtle. Now let’s move to the alligator snapping turtle. This is nothing compared to humans who possess a bite force of 300 to 700 newtons. "It's best to leave them alone in nature and not take them … Turtles will bite natural baits used for fishing, and they are difficult and a little dangerous to unhook. If you find our articles helpful, and you like our site we would like to ask for your help. All three species are relatively popular among turtle parents (keepers). Softshell turtles and snapping turtles are known to be aggressive and are likelier to bite. Killing a snapping turtle will cause significantly more injury to you since the jaws will contract after death even more. In fact, both belong to the same taxonomic family Kinosternidae. If you are able to pick the turtle up safely, gently scoop it up with one hand on each side of the back of the shell. However it’s important to remember that snappers don’t have teeth, instead, they have beaks with very sharp cutting edges. On this site you will find articles that cover every basic thing that a turtle owner needs to know, as well as all the advanced stuff. What to Expect and How to Prevent, Why are snapping turtles more aggressive than other turtles, You Can Help Us Keep TurtleOwner.com Alive. These turtles are also known for their aggressive nature. (with Bite Facts and Videos), in this article, as the title implies, I talk about how dangerous snapping turtles are, I give more information about their bite, and I also explore the reasons why they are a lot more aggressive than other turtles and turtle species. Instead of a hard bony shell, softshell turtles have tough leathery shells, thus their common name. Some turtles will bite when handled. However, be wary of their sharp beaks. Common snapping turtles can also bite hard enough to cause serious lacerations. The common snapping turtle has a jaw strength of 208 to 226 newtons. Now, that’s bite force. This is because the alligator snapping turtles can get a lot bigger than the common ones. Removing the Turtle. Now let’s see why snapping turtles are so aggressive. Between the two species, the bite of an alligator snapping turtle is definitely more powerful and dangerous than the bite of a common snapping turtle. Instead, they possess extremely powerful jaws. Turtles bite each other for three reasons (the third is rare): Territorial disputes, such as aquariums and pools where they feel crowded and therefore threatened. It will let go by itself after a short wile if you leave it in the water. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. These aquatic turtles spend all their lives in aquatic habitat. Don’t stress out the turtles, even if they are peaceful by their nature, they will still attack you if they are stressed out and they feel in danger. As carnivorous animals, they crush mollusks, fish, crustaceans, and other animals with their jaw. And if you are bitten by any kind of turtle and there is blood on your skin, you have to go to the doctor as fast as possible to properly disinfect the bitten area. 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