Snapping turtles are hunted for food in the United States and exported to other countries for the international aquaculture business and as canned meat.
Some scientists believe that snapping turtles use the earth's magnetic field to navigate to nesting sites.The snapping turtle is the state reptile of New York.They can stretch their long necks up to the surface of the water to breathe or absorb oxygen from the water and mud. During the coldest months of the year, snapping turtles will bury themselves in the mud and slow their metabolism. They will reach sexual maturity at 10-15 years old. The eggs will hatch in August and the hatchlings travel to the nearest waterway. Females will dig a hole and lay 10-50 eggs and cover the eggs to hide them from predators. After mating, females will travel up to one mile to find a suitable nesting site. Mating always occurs in the water each spring between May and June. In the southern United States, where their territory overlaps, snapping turtles are preyed upon by American alligators and alligator snapping turtles. Adult snapping turtles have very few predators but are sometimes attacked by river otters, bears and coyotes. At this stage they are preyed upon by foxes, coyotes, skunks, minks, fishers, raccoons, crows, herons, hawks, owls, bullfrogs, fish and snakes. Snapping turtles are most vulnerable when they are in eggs and newly hatched. They will eat aquatic vegetation and hunt insects, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and birds. The top of their jaw extends over the lower half and their nostrils sit at the very top of their nose. Snapping turtles have large claws, an alligator-like tail, a thick shell and scaled legs.
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