What Is the Lifespan of a Snapping Turtle?
The snapping turtle is a wide-ranging, fairly common freshwater turtle that inhabits the United States and Canada. Animal Diversity Web describes snapping turtles as turtles with saw-toothed tails nearly as long as their shells, ranging from 8 to 18 1/2 inches. Snapping turtles range in color but have characteristic tubercles (outgrowths) on their legs. Snapping turtles are named due to their strong jaws and ferocious bite.LifespanSnapping turtles are most vulnerable as babies, but if full grown, they will live an average of 30 years in the wild, with a maximum reported age of 47 years by AnAge, a database partially funded by the National Institute of Health.DietIn captivity, snapping turtles are fed specially formulated, commercially available diets. In the wild, snapping turtles are opportunistic eaters, eating anything they can “fit their jaws around,” including plants, carrion, fish, birds, small mammals and amphibians, according to Animal Diversity Web’s Adam Bosch. Bosch also sta
