NEW ORLEANS -- It's a marvelously ugly beast, with spiked and ridged armor, a sharply hooked beak, a fishing lure in its mouth and a nasty bite. But the alligator snapping turtle's hard shell holds ...

Snapping turtles are large freshwater turtles that are unable to withdraw their head and legs fully into their shells, and so have extremely powerful jaws that they use to defend themselves with by ...

Snapping turtles often get a bad reputation for their hooked jaws and rugged appearance. They look like creatures built only for defense, but the truth is far more interesting. These reptiles have ...

Snapping turtles evolved their lightning-fast bite because their shells can’t fully protect them. Without the option to hide, they face threats head-on with raw power. These ancient reptiles play a ...

Many cultures tell fascinating tales about turtles. Several North American Native tribes speak of a great turtle floating in a primal sea, before there was any land. Here lived all the other animals ...

It’s a face only a mother could love. Well, a mother or a wildlife biologist. But if you ever get face-to-face with a 200-pound, 100 year-old alligator snapping turtle with its gaping jaws spread wide ...

Protected alligator snapping turtles are returned to their natural habitats, after the trafficked animals are saved from interstate poachers. Cooper Lake State Park in northeastern Texas offers shady ...

Snapping turtles are opportunistic omnivores that will eat almost anything in the pond. While they prefer meat, including worms, snails, fish, birds, small mammals, other turtles, and frogs, 30 ...