Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am an advanced turtle keeper/breeder who mainly focuses on emydids, but I have always dreamed of keeping at least one Alligator Snapping turtle for use in educational programs that I typically organize for schools.

I am finally at the point where I can adequately feed and house the species, but I am still mentally undecided.

I'm looking for any information keepers can give me that isn't typically in books or on caresheets. For instance...personality, activity level, keeper recognition, etc.. Also, do the bite defensively underwater? I've never seen nor heard reputable stories of a common snapper biting defensively unless they were out of water...is this also true for AST?

ANY personal experience that you can share will be greatly appreciated.

I'd be starting with a captive bred animal approx. 5" TCL...and I have my choice of sex (I'm leaning towards female because a large male would present a logistical problem when organizing a talk). This animal will be used for educational purposes, but it will also be a beloved pet. This is why I enter the commitment cautiously.

Thanks in advance.

I got my first ALS back in December.

In terms of personality, I think they have a lot more than what people give them credit for. They are somewhat shy, but I've found that mine DEFINATELY recognizes me when I come close to the tank (most likely because it knows that my ugly mug pressed up against the glass = feeding time).

And mine's not very defensive under water. Or outside water even. It's actually kind of a big wuss. I see all these pictures of people holding their snappers and they're going crazy, their mouth open and ready to snap. Mine just pulls in and is actually very timid.

And they're pretty versatile eaters as well. At least mine is, anyway (which is something you'd want to keep in mind...not all snappers will have the same personality...but you probably already knew that...). I've gotten mine to eat cherries (not pits), greens, turnips, and other vegetable, but he prefers live fish, raw beef and chicken, and pellets. I feed it about every day with something different, although it does seem to get bored when it hasn't had the chance to hunt for fish.

hope that helps somewhat.

Yes, that helps! Thanks!

I've been asking around, and your sentiments are shared by many others.

Two more questions...do you know your turtle's sex, and how old is it?

Thanks again.

I actually don't know my turtle's sex. I'm assuming it's too young to try and figure out, but then again, I haven't really looked into sexing much since I don't intend on breeding it. I got it in December, so I estimate the time it hatched at around September or October (it was CB by the way). I would say shell length is at about 4 1/2 inches at this point. Not really sure when I can sex it.

From what I hear of others, your turtle is growing pretty fast. That's good to hear. I don't really want to wait 10 years before it is a decent size to elicit a reaction from the students.

Ally snappers are temperature sex dependent, so I thought that the breeder may have been able to tell you what sex it should be. I would need to know, as males get so much bigger than females. Someone with advanced knowledge of ally snappers should be able to roll the tail of your snapper soon to determine sex. If you want to do the comparison of cloacal distance, I guess you'll have to wait.

Mantooth, thanks for the responses. You've been very helpful.

This is a very belated response, but I am bored and perusing Kingsnake, and I don't understand why no one else said anything.

First, I love my Alligator Snapper. Timid little bugger. He has never gaped at me in the water but he snaps at anything outside of it, including his own legs if I have him in the air. (Now I block his head while I am doing his nails. Yes, I trim his nails.)

If you want one that will garner a response buy an older one or wait five to six years. Buying an older on will also give you a chance to pick sex more accurately. When I bought my hatchling I asked for the best guess on a male. I got one with a slightly concave plastron and a tail that wraps around to his nose.

And I hate to be the one who has to throw in corrections, but I hate more for any misinformation to be floating around so I offer this with the best intentions. Now, I am too lazy to get up and thumb through my books but I am almost positive turtles gender is genetically determined, not by temperature. I've been keeping for about 20 years. And I've also never heard of rolling a tail to pop a turtle. Sounds dangerous to the turtle. Experienced keepers can pop crocs (I've done it) and neonate snakes (I suck at popping them.) If you are not experienced it is dangerous to the herp.

Alligators, as in Alligator Missisipiensis, like all crocs, are gender determined by temperature and not genetics. They can also be popped by rolling their tails back.

Well, I hope you got an Alligator Snapper. Pretty amazing creatures. Thanks for asking around about them first, it shows your concern and dedication.

And if I was wrong on any of the above I am sure the marvelous patrons here at Kingsnake will correct me. Please, do. We need to offer the best info we can.