How to Identify Snapping Turtles

All turtles are reptiles characterized by external shells that protect their internal organs. Turtles have been inhabiting planet Earth for approximately 200 million years and shared the planet with dinosaurs. In fact, turtles existed even before the dinosaurs and are still a common species today. More than 250 different turtle species are currently in existence. One type of turtle, the snapping turtle, can be easily identified even by an untrained eye.

Instructions

    • 1

      Check out the turtle's eyes. A snapping turtle will have eyes on the sides of his head that are more toward the top of his head than the middle. The eyes will be mostly black with small spots that seem to extend out from the pupil.

    • 2

      Look over the turtle's face and head. The head of a snapping turtle is larger than other types of turtles, and on it, you'll find a strong jaw that's a lighter color than the rest of the snapping turtle, such as a yellowish or cream color.

    • 3

      Inspect the turtle's skin. A snapping turtle's skin is covered in scales of various sizes and colors. The most common colors for snapping turtles are brown, black, gray, olive, yellow or tan. You can usually find several of these colors on the snapping turtle's skin.

    • 4

      Take note of the turtle's neck size. When extending his thick neck, a snapping turtle can reach over half the length of his own body.

    • 5

      Consider the turtle's legs and tail. The legs of a snapping turtle will have many scales and like the neck, will be thick and strong. They will also be webbed. His tail will be noticeably long, like his neck, and have three rows of scales. The middle row of scales on the tail are larger than the other rows and make the snapping turtle resemble dinosaurs more than other species of turtles.