Snaplet
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Habitat: Fresh rivers, streams, ponds, or brackish water
Geographic area: Widespread across North America, including Albuquerque.
Rescue details: Snaplet was found by Naturalist Center volunteer Naomi Riley on Rio Grande Blvd about one mile away from the museum. Snaplet had just hatched, probably within weeks of capture, and wandered out of a pond or waterway.
Diet: Opportunistic omnivore. In the wild: fish, amphibians, insects, worms or other invertebrates, including crayfish, ducklings, or small wading birds or rodents, dead animals, even other smaller turtles, and lots of aquatic plants such as algae and moss. We feed Snaplet butternut squash shavings and a special kibble diet formulated for aquatic reptiles at zoos that we call ‘crocodile chow’. She occasionally gets other treats such as hibiscus flowers, insects, or crayfish.
Fun Facts:
🐢 Centenarian Potential — Wild Common snapping turtles may live over 100 years. Long term studies in Algonquin Park, Ontario show individuals surpassing a century. In captivity, documented ages range from 30–70 years.
🐢 Super Stretch Neck — Snaplet’s neck can stretch almost the full length of her 13” shell. She can bend it backward, sideways, and over the top of her carapace—earning her species the name serpentina (“snake like”).
🐢 Built for Defense — Unlike box turtles, snappers have a small plastron (lower shell), leaving their legs and neck more exposed. Their solution: the ability to snap in nearly every direction, especially when out of water where they feel most vulnerable.
🐢 Social Scientist — Snaplet is unusually sociable and people oriented. She watches visitors, follows them around her tank, and interacts with staff.
🐢 Target Trained Talent — She recognizes individual humans and is trained to follow a frisbee target for feeding and safe handling. She even voluntarily enters her dog carrier when cued.
🐢 Sun Loving Speed Booster — Snaplet loves basking under her heat and UV lights. Warming up helps her move faster, digest food efficiently, and stay healthy!
