Let us begin with where it lives. The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. People call it the "dinosaur of the turtle world." Alligator snapping turtles live in freshwater in the southern United States. They live in rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Adults live in deep water in large rivers, canals and lakes. Young ones live in smaller streams.

Now look at its body. It has a spiked shell. On the upper shell are three large ridges that run from front to back. It has a very big head and strong jaws, a long tail, and webbed toes with long claws. Male alligator snapping turtles grow larger than females. As of November 2026, the heaviest one on record weighed more than 250 pounds. The upper shell of the largest ones is more than 30 inches long, also as of November 2026.

Now let us see how it feeds. Part of an alligator snapping turtle's tongue looks like a worm. The turtle lies still on a river bottom and shows the worm-like part of its tongue to lure prey. It waves this part, and fish swim close. Alligator snapping turtles eat mostly fish, but they also eat crayfish, snails, mussels and some plants. They both hunt and eat dead animals they find. One can stay under water for 40 to 50 minutes before it comes up for air.

These turtles spend most of their time in the water. They are most active at night. Algae often grows on an alligator snapping turtle's back, which helps hide it. Alligator snapping turtles typically live alone. A female digs a nest in the sand and lays between 8 and 52 eggs in one clutch. Raccoons eat alligator snapping turtle eggs from nests. Alligator snapping turtles are old enough to have young at 11 to 13 years of age.

Words to know

• lure: draw close
• prey: food animal
• clutch: egg group
• ridges: raised lines
• algae: tiny water plants