Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a red-footed tortoise as a pet, and it never ceases to amaze me that an undomesticated animal is such a tame, mellow, and gentle creature.

however, i've wondered about snapping turtles in this regard. if raised from hatchlings, will they be tame, or are their predatory instincts so strong that they will always be dangerous?

i think that they are beautiful in their unique way, but i don't intend to own one -- i'm just curious, and i figured that this forum would be the best place to ask.

thanks in advance for anyone that can satisfy my curiosity!

I think they make great pets, but thats me. You can't really handle a snapper like you do your tortoise. It's more or less a display animal. I raised mine from a hatchling and it tries to kill me every chance it gets. Some are more docile than others, but for the most part they will always snap at you. Even if they do not snap around you sometimes, never fully trust him. A bite is fast painful and can remove fingers. I only handle mine when absolutely necessary (cage cleaning, moving,etc..)

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1.1 100% het albino W. Hognose
0.1 66% het albino "red" W. Hognose
1.0 Pastel Ball Python
1.0 Common Snapping Turtle
1.1 Bearded Dragon

wow, he's beautiful... apparently grumpy, too!

thanks for the insider's view. i had been curious for some time... i'll stick with my tortoise as a pet, but i certainly respect and appreciate all reptiles!

I have one of the minority that won't snap. I"ve never seen the inside of her mouth except for the flash when eating. Nevertheless, biting remains a defense in this fella's toolbelt, unlike that of a tortoise.

Ian

I've had many different snappers (hatchling to smaller adult commons & florida snappers as well as alligator snappers at various times through the years ranging from hatchling to 80 lbs.). The scariest one I ever owned was a captive bred florida snapper that had a 3 inch shell length. It was worse dealing with him than it was the 80 lb. alligator snapper. Obviously, the alligator snapper was capable of injuring me in a much more dramatic way but you get the point. I don't own any turtles any longer but based on my experience, I'd rather deal with alligator snappers any day of the week.