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Do alligator snapping turtles live in north carolinaDo alligator snapping turtles live in north carolina.Native Turtles of North Carolina (with Pictures)
Alligator snapping turtles are sometimes described as dinosaur-like because of their spiky shells and primitive-looking faces. They have three pointed ridges along their shells that run from head to tail. Unlike all other species of snapping turtle, this one has eyes on the sides of its head. The alligator snapping turtle is the largest species of freshwater turtle. Males typically weigh between and pounds 70 and 80 kilograms. Alligator snapping turtles are found exclusively in the United States, from northern Florida to eastern Texas and as far north as Iowa.
They are almost exclusively aquatic, and tend to stay submerged and motionless for so long that algae begins to grow do alligator snapping turtles live in north carolina their shells. They can go 50 minutes before needing to surface for a gulp of air.
Except for egg-laying females, these turtles almost never come on land. River systems, lakes, and wetland comprise their preferred habitats. To attract an unsuspecting victim, this turtle will lay on the bottom of the riverbed and open his jaws to reveal what looks like a delicious bright red wriggling worm, luring prey by fiendishly twitching this appendage back and forth.
They can also actively search for prey by tasting chemicals in the water that are indicative do alligator snapping turtles live in north carolina a particular species. This way, even when their prey is hiding in the sediment, they can still sense them.
These solitary reptiles spend much of their time in the water—even capable of holding their breath for 40 to 50 minutes. Do alligator snapping turtles live in north carolina venture onto land to nest with females. Correlated with a solitary lifestyle, there is little structure and no parental care to their young. Adults mate in the spring and females lay eggs two months later. The eggs hatch after to days.
The incubation temperature of the nest determines the gender of the offspring—females develop in warmer temperatures and males develop in cooler temperatures. The newly hatched turtles are similar to the adults in appearance. Eggs and juveniles are consumed by fish, raccoonsand birdsbut the only predator of fully grown adults is humans.
Reproductive maturity is reached at 11 to 13 years. /5014.txt snapping turtles are declining due to habitat degradation and overharvesting for their meat. They are not an endangered speciesbut some states have imposed bans on collecting them from the wild. But with a bite force of 1, poundstheir powerful jaws can snap through bone—so they should never be handled in the wild. A groundbreaking bipartisan bill aims to address the looming wildlife crisis before it's too late, while creating sorely needed jobs.
More than one-third of U. We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.
Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. Inspire a lifelong connection with wildlife and wild places through our children's publications, products, and activities.
In 4 secondsyou will be redirected to nwfactionfund. The National Wildlife Federation. Alligator Snapping Turtle. Classification: Reptile. Description Alligator snapping turtles are sometimes described as dinosaur-like because of their spiky shells and primitive-looking /38620.txt. Range Alligator snapping turtles are found exclusively in the United States, from northern Florida to eastern Texas and as far north as Iowa.
Behavior These solitary reptiles spend much of their time in the water—even capable of holding their breath for 40 to 50 minutes. Life History Adults mate in the spring and females lay eggs two months later. Conservation Alligator snapping turtles are declining due to habitat degradation and overharvesting for their meat. Здесь Today. Do alligator snapping turtles live in north carolina a Petition. Donate Monthly. Nearby Events. Learn More. Read More. The National Wildlife Federation Uniting all Americans to do alligator snapping turtles live in north carolina wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world.
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Do alligator snapping turtles live in north carolina -
The United States is home to more turtle species than any other country in the world, almost species, and subspecies. North Carolina is home to 18 turtle species. In this article I am going to take a closer look at each species and cover a few basic things about them, things like the appearance, lifespan, how big it can get, diet, where it lives, conservation status, and reproduction.
Quick Note: In this list I am also going to tell you the conservation status of the species, meaning how close they are to extinction. I will give a more in-depth explanation of this ranking works, at the end of the article, but until then I will add a picture that will let you know the basics. The only exceptions are the two brightly colored spots on the head, which can be yellow, orange, or red.
And the patterns on the back of the shell. How big it can get: The Bog Turtle is one of the smallest turtles in the United States, it only reaches sizes between 3 and 4 inches. Where it lives: As the name implies, Bog turtles can be found in bogs and wet meadows. Diet: They are omnivorous, which means that they eat a large variety of meat, fish, insects, and vegetation.
Reproduction: Nesting occurs from late May until the middle of July, and the incubation period lasts between 80 and 90 days.
Description : The Carolina Diamondback Terrapin can be easily spotted due to its light-colored skin, which can range in color from white to grey. The skin is also covered with black spots and blobs.
The shell is usually brown and covered with a black pattern. How big it can get: Males usually reach sizes between 4 and 6 inches, females reach sizes between 5 and 8 inches. Where it lives: Diamondback terrapins can usually be found near brackish waters, and in coastal salt marshes. Diet: Diamondback terrapins are carnivores, so their diet is mostly made out of meat, fish, insects, and other small animals.
Reproduction: Nesting season is between April and July, the incubation period usually lasts between 80 and 90 days. Description : The Common Musk Turtle has a very plain appearance with very consistent colors.
The color of the shell and the skin is usually very similar and it can usually be dark brown or black. The shell has one distinct feature and that is a ridge that traverses the entire length of the shell. Another distinguishable feature of the Common Musk turtle can be found on its head in the form of two light-colored stripes.
How big it can get: Common Musk turtles are very small, they usually reach sizes between 3 and 4. Where it lives: Like most aquatic turtles, the musk turtle can be found in all minds of slow-moving and still body waters. But in general, they prefer waters that have a soft bottom, like mud or sand. Diet: Common Musk turtles are omnivorous and feed on small aquatic and semi-aquatic animals, aquatic plants, and carrion, and any other kind of fruit or vegetable that they can find.
Reproduction: Nesting season usually starts in late May and lasts until August. The average incubation period of the eggs is 75 days. Description : Common Snapping Turtles can range in color from brown to black. They usually have very long legs, necks, and tails. And they have a pronounced beak-like mouth. How big it can get: Between 12 and 15 inches, in rare cases, some of them can reach even 19 inches. Where it lives: A habitat generalist, the common snapping turtle can be found in almost any body of freshwater with a muddy bottom.
Diet: They are omnivorous, which means that they eat both meat and plants. When it comes to the meat they will scavenge, or actively hunt their prey in the water. Reproduction: Nesting season is May to July. Incubation usually lasts between 70 and days. Description : The Eastern Box Turtles have a very dome-like shaped shell that ranges in color from brown to black.
Besides the shape of the shell, the other most recognizable element is the pattern of the shell and skin, the pattern of the Eastern Box turtles can vary from individual to individual but it can usually be described as a lot of spots or blobs, that are colored yellow, red or orange.
Where it lives: Unlike most turtles, Box turtles live on land instead of water. They can be usually be found across open woodlands as well as grasslands and meadows. Diet: Box turtles are omnivorous, so they will eat anything that they can find, meat, insects, fruits, vegetables, and any kind of vegetation. Reproduction: The nesting period takes place between May and July. The incubation period for the eggs is between 70 and 80 days. Description : The Eastern Chicken Turtle has a shell that is shaped similarly to an egg, compared to other turtles.
The lower side of the shell is usually yellow. How big it can get: Most females are slightly larger than males, but overall chicken turtles reach sizes between 5 and 10 inches. Where it lives: Chicken turtles can be found in canals, marshes, cypress, ponds, and other bodies of still or sluggish water.
They are frequently found in the sandhills. Diet: They are omnivorous, which means that they will eat meat, fish, snails, insects, as well as fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of vegetation.
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in early spring, and ends in late summer. On average, the incubation period of the eggs ranges from 75 to 90 days.
Description : The Eastern Mud turtle has a very plain look, the upper part of the shell usually lacks any pattern and the color can range from a dark yellow to black.
One of the few distinct features of the Eastern Mud Turtle is the stripes on the head that can range in color from white to yellow. Where it lives: As the name implies Mud turtles prefer to stay in water bodies that have a soft bottom, composed of either sand or mud. So they can be usually found in lakes, swamps, marshes, and rivers.
Diet: Mud turtles are omnivorous, which means that they will eat meat, snails, fish, insects, as well as fruits, vegetables, and other kinds of vegetation.
Reproduction: The nesting period starts in May, and ends around the end of July. The incubation period is longer than that of most turtles, lasting around to days. Description : The skin color of the Eastern Painted Turtle usually ranges from dark olive to black. The shell is usually the same color as the skin, but the edges are usually red, orange, or yellow. The bottom part of the shell will usually be colored yellow. The skin of the Eastern Painted Turtle will usually be covered with stripes, near the head they are usually yellow, and on the rest of the body, the color usually ranges from red to orange.
How big it can get: Most Painted turtles reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches. Where it lives: All Painted turtles subspecies prefer to live in freshwater, and they can be usually found in slow-moving rivers, ponds, and lakes.
Diet: Painted turtles are omnivorous, which means that they will eat fruits, vegetables as well as meat. Reproduction: Nesting season starts in March and ends in June. The amount of time it takes the eggs to hatch is around 80 days. Description: The Eastern River Cooter has a broad shell and numerous stripes on the head, which is blunt and proportionately small compared to the shell.
The upper shell is olive-brown, brown, or nearly black, with numerous concentric yellow lines or markings. The lower shell is either plain yellow or may have some faint gray-brown markings along the scutes. The skin is usually olive to olive-brown and has numerous yellow lines. Where it lives: They generally prefer water streams, but they can also be found in lakes, ponds, and manmade environments.
Diet: In general they prefer fruits, vegetables, and other forms of vegetation over meat, but they can be occasionally seen eating insects and snails. Reproduction: The nesting period starts in May and ends in July. On average the incubation period for the eggs lasts between 80 and days. Description : The Eastern Spiny Softshell has a leather-like shell that is very round and flattened when comparing it to other turtles. The colors usually range from olive-gray to yellow-brown.
In the case of younger individuals, well-defined round spots can be observed on the shell, in the case of adults those spots are not very visible.
Like most softshell turtles they also have a snorkel-like snout. How big it can get: There is a huge difference in size between males and females. Males usually reach sizes between 5 and 9 inches, while females reach sizes between 12 and 20 inches. Where it lives: They prefer to live in large streams and rivers, but they can also be found in large reservoirs.
Diet: Eastern Spiny softshells are carnivorous. Their preferred prey includes fish, crayfish, and other aquatic invertebrates. Reproduction: Nesting season starts in March and ends in late May, early June. Description: What distinguishes the Florida Cooter from most other turtles is its flattened shape. Their carapace has a dark background with a yellow or orange pattern.
The plastron has no markings, and there are hollow oval markings on the marginal scutes. On average, the incubation period for the eggs lasts between 80 and days. The color of the shell and skin is usually is a gray olive with multiple small black spots. It also has bumpy projections beginning at the front edge of the carapace and going partway down the center of its shell. How big it can get: In general males are considerably smaller than females. Males reach sizes between 5 and 10 inches, while females reach sizes between 9 and 20 inches.
Where it lives: Spiny Softshell turtles can be found in any aquatic habitat: lakes, rivers, reservoirs, wetlands, and marshes. Diet: They are carnivores, so they mainly eat small aquatic animals, snails, and insects. Reproduction: Nesting season starts in early spring and ends during the summer. The incubation period of the eggs is 80 days. Description : The Northern Diamondback Terrapin Has a light-colored skin that is covered with small black spots.
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