Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a common snapping turtle that i found when he still had his eggsac attached to him. He is now the size of my clenched fist and is one mean green. He snaps at me constantly when i handle him. Is he so mean because he isn't captive bred, or just because he is a snapping turtle, and thats what they do.

Anyways, I really don't feel like getting bit when he gets bigger, or now for that matter. I need to know the proper way to hold him and handle him when i take him outside for some sunshine, or clean out his tank. Now i try to hold him from the back of his shell with my fingers on the top and bottom of his shell. But he can stretch his neck back pretty far. Im not sure how easy that will be once he gets alittle bigger.

Thanks.

Thanks.

You are doing it correctly. As he grows his neck will get longer, but so will his shell! Generally, snappers can reach half way back of their shell.

My snapper was wild caught as a baby also. She is extremely tame. She takes food from my hand and had never tried to bite me. So, I think it's either a gender thingy or a personality thingy!
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0.1.0 ornate box turtle
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I've had both male and female WC snappers and they have both been tame. I think that it depends how old they are when you catch them (the younger they are the better) and how much time put into working with them as they get older. I got mine at a very young age, and constantly work with him. Now after almost 3 years, hes still my tamest turtle.

Just handle him more? As soon as i come in the room he swims over to me and takes food from my hand, its just when he is out of the tank he snaps at me, mostly when im holding him.

thanks.

try letting him walk around outside the tank and try not to make him mad(easier said than done lol), try to pet him or other such things without gettin bit. It may be hard but just try to become more involved with him so that he hopefully won't be as threatened by your presence. That over time should help the temper, but you are in theory almost trying to defy their nature and so it may be real difficult. But its definately worth the shot. Good luck!

at that size, you have nothing to fear. no amount of handling will ever 'tame' anything.
anyone who says so is deluding themself.
in general, a snapper - common or gator- is very docile while in the water. i have a five pounder in my tank now, and i clean my tank as i always have. he has never made a move to snap me. he backs into a corner when i start siphoning the tank, and i can reach all around him, even when agitated, and he will not strike. it is the nature of the beast. the same holds true for snappers in the wild. while submerged, you can handle and manipulate them, only when they are removed from water do they become aggressive toward something larger than themself.
BE CAREFUL