Alligator snapping turtles

The Alligator snapping turtle is a type of freshwater turtle that is native to the United States and is among the heaviest freshwater turtle species in the world. They seldom exist in solitary marshes or ponds and are often exclusively found in water basins that drain into the Gulf of Mexico. According to a research, turtles prefer areas with a canopy of trees, overhanging branches, plants, dead submerged trees, and beaver burrows.

They are a carnivorous species distinguished by strong jaws and an undeveloped look. The males of their species exhibit sexual dimorphism, with the females being noticeably smaller than the males.

The alligator snapping turtle is a picky feeder that consumes virtually only meat. It feeds on both living food that it captures by itself and scavenged dead species. It will typically consume practically anything it can capture. Fishermen have exalted the species' capacity to capture fish and deplete fish stocks, despite the fact that it primarily hunts any plentiful and readily caught food and rarely has a significant negative impact on fish stocks. Fish, amphibians, mollusks, clams, snails, worms, crawfish, and waterbirds make up the majority of the alligator snapping turtles' diet. They can, however, feed on muskrats, nutrias, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, and armadillos when they approach the water's edge in times of food scarcity.