This research project is a collaboration between Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Turtle Survival Alliance, and … Common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are large, freshwater turtles native to North America. A few long-term and well-fed captive specimens have been known to occasionally weigh in excess of 70 pounds (32 kg). Zoological details of snapping turtles: Common snapping turtle and alligator snapping turtle are the two kinds of the common snapping turtles. This is a list of Texas reptiles, including all snakes, lizards, crocodilians, and turtles native to the state of Texas.. In Texas the alligator snapping turtle is found in the Trinity River from Tarrant County and river systems eastward. An omnivorous species, the common snapper will eat just about anything it can get a hold of and swallow. They have been found in a variety of environs including lakes, oxbows, bayous, deep rivers, canals, creeks, ponds and even brackish estuaries. Mating. … The snapping turtle is not a protected species in Texas and can be legally collected with a hunting license. Although these large turtles are most comfortable in the water, they lay their eggs on land. Snapping turtles are a species of concern for wildlife biologists, so we are asking for help in reporting these fascinating, almost prehistoric animals. The eggs become a common prey to raccoons, foxes and snakes. Infrequently they are found out of the water, perhaps moving between bodies of water. These two species are alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) and common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina). IDENTIFICATION: The snapping turtle is a large easy to recognize turtle with some specimens weighing in excess of 35 pounds (16 kg) and a straight-line carapace length of 8-14 inches (20-36 cm). The vast state of Texas is home to lots of different things, and that includes a couple species of snapping turtles, both of the family Chelydridae. The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) has an oval-shaped head and a comparatively smooth, rounded shell that appears too small for its body. Snapping Turtle Types. Texas has a single species of tortoise, the Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlanderi) and a single species of terrapin, the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin).

The state of Texas has a large variety of habitats, from swamps, coastal marshes and pine forests in the east, rocky hills and limestone karst in the center, desert in the south and west, mountains in the far west, and grassland prairie in the north. Texas Distribution: The single subspecies of Chelydra serpentina found in Texas, C. s. serpentina , is distributed across much of the state, save the southern and western tips of the state. IDENTIFICATION: The snapping turtle is a large easy to recognize turtle with some specimens weighing in excess of 35 pounds (16 kg) and a straight-line carapace length of 8-14 inches (20-36 cm).A few long-term and well-fed captive specimens have been known to occasionally weigh in excess of 70 pounds (32 kg). An Introduction to Texas Turtles Turtle, tortoise or terrapin?