Alligator snapping turtle, also known as the true snapping turtle, is a relatively aggressive species of turtle. It is usually not mixed with other types of turtles, and because the Alligator snapping turtle is easy to raise, grows quickly, and accumulates meat quickly, many people call it a meat turtle and use it for slaughter and consumption.
The Alligator snapping turtle is mainly distributed in the surrounding areas of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee in the United States, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Alligator snapping turtles can be seen in most parts of Mississippi, the southern part of Alabama, swamps in Georgia and Florida. However, artificial breeding of Alligator snapping turtles is difficult, and there is no record of successful breeding yet.
Scientific name: Macroclemystemminckii
Other names: Alligator turtle, humpbacked turtle, alligator-shell turtle.
Taxonomic status: Alligator snapping turtles belong to the family Chelydridae and the genus Macroclemys.
Distribution: Central and southern United States, Mississippi River, and Georgia.
Habitat: Alligator snapping turtles like to live in rivers, canals, lakes, swamps, and deep ponds with water grass and mud at the bottom.
Growth temperature: Alligator snapping turtles have strong adaptability and can live in water temperatures ranging from 3 to 45°C.
Habits: Amphibious turtles.
Diet: Alligator snapping turtles are omnivorous turtles with a main diet of animal-based feed. In nature, they feed on frogs, snakes, insects, shrimp, crab, shellfish, fish, water grass, etc. In captivity, they can be fed with fish, lean meat, poultry offal, a small amount of vegetable leaves, and some mixed feed.
Size: Large in size, with the longest carapace reaching 75-80 centimeters.
Sexual dimorphism: Female turtles have a slightly rounder body, shorter and slightly thinner tail, and the cloaca is located within the edge of the carapace. Male turtles are larger in size, have a longer tail, and the cloaca is located outside the edge of the carapace.
Reproduction characteristics: The breeding season is from February to July each year, and each clutch contains 8 to 50 eggs. The eggs are white and spherical, with a diameter of 30 to 51 millimeters. The incubation period is 100 to 140 days.
Compatibility: Do not mix with other turtles.
Difficulty of raising: Easy.
Special requirements: Alligator snapping turtles like to stay in water depths of 1 to 1.5 meters.
1.Respiratory Infection
Mild pneumonia: The turtle seems dazed, floats on its side, refuses to drink water, and partially refuses to eat.
Treatment: You must purchase a heating rod and adjust the water temperature to 30 degrees Celsius, heat the water to raise the turtle, and remove the sunbathing platform. The turtle will recover on its own. Be careful not to let the turtle's shell expose to the surface of the water, causing a large temperature difference and worsening the condition.
Moderate pneumonia: The turtle seems dazed, floats on its side, refuses to drink water and eat, breathes with its mouth open, and occasionally has white mucus flowing from its mouth and nose.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, use a heating rod to keep the temperature at a constant 30 degrees Celsius, buy a box of amoxicillin/cephalosporin (I recommend amoxicillin because it has a lower antibacterial resistance compared to others), open the capsule (can be in tablet form, 0.5g or 0.25g), dilute the powdered medicine in water, and soak the turtle in it. The ratio is 300ml per pill. Soak the turtle twice a day for 30 minutes each time. Use a separate container to soak the medicine.
Severe pneumonia: The turtle breathes with its mouth open, seems dazed, refuses to drink water and eat, floats on its side, mucus flows from its mouth and nose, and makes sounds.
Treatment: If the turtle cooperates, use a small syringe to feed it amoxicillin/cephalosporin. Pour the powdered medicine into the water from the capsule. Feed the turtle 2 to 3 times a day. After feeding, do not put it directly into the water. Use 0.1g of amoxicillin (cephalosporin, azithromycin) diluted in 10ml of water for feeding. It can be fed when the turtle breathes with its mouth open or dropped into its nose. About ten drops at a time. Don't worry about choking the turtle, it will expel some of the medicine and some will enter the respiratory tract through the nasal cavity. After dripping the medicine, let the turtle move freely and then put it in the water to soak in the medicine.
Prevention: Do not frequently lift the turtle in and out of the water surface, as it may cause respiratory diseases due to temperature difference. When changing the water in winter, pour out some water first, then put the turtle in and change the water. The water level of the tank should at least cover the turtle's upper shell to prevent the turtle's shell from exposing to the water surface and causing a large temperature difference. Remember not to expose the turtle to sudden changes in temperature.
2. White eye
Mild white eye: The turtle cannot open its eyes freely, looks lethargic, and keeps scratching its eyes.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank (soak it in a 1:2000 potassium permanganate solution for one hour, not more). Use a heating rod to keep the temperature at a constant 28 degrees Celsius for raising the turtle. Maintain clean water quality and apply some eye drops. Feed more fish or eat some carrots.
Moderate white eye: The turtle cannot open its eyes, refuses to eat, and looks lethargic.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, dry the sick turtle, and use chloramphenicol eye drops or chloramphenicol eye lotion (any anti-inflammatory eye drops can be used instead). Apply one drop three times a day. After applying the eye drops, wait for ten minutes before applying the chloramphenicol ointment to the eyelids. Let the ointment dry for about an hour, then put the turtle back into the water. Soak the turtle in a solution of terramycin with a ratio of half a pill (recommended to apply in the morning and evening) to 500ml of water.
Severe white eye: The eyes are swollen, cannot be opened, are accompanied by white secretions covering the external eyeball, and the turtle moves slowly, refuses to eat.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, apply chloramphenicol eye drops or chloramphenicol eye lotion (any anti-inflammatory eye drops can be used instead) twice, drip two drops of eye drops each time, let them dry for ten minutes, and then apply the chloramphenicol ointment. Dry it for 1-2 hours, apply the ointment twice a day, and put it back into the water after external application. Soak the turtle in a solution of terramycin and vitamin B with a ratio of half a pill of terramycin and one pill of vitamin B to 500ml of water, keeping the water temperature at a constant 28 degrees Celsius. Soak the turtle in the medicated water for no more than 2 hours at a time. If the condition improves and the turtle opens two-thirds of its eyes, use a cotton swab soaked in eye drops to gently clean the white foreign matter from the eyes. After successfully cleaning, apply eye drops and ointment to the turtle and let it rest.
Prevention: Maintain good water quality, change the water immediately after feeding, or feed the turtle in a separate tank, especially when feeding greasy foods such as pork. Provide a variety of foods for the turtle, not one type of food for a long time, and avoid excessive consumption of pork. The turtle can be exposed to more sunlight and its daily supplies should be cleaned regularly. If the tap water quality is poor in your area, do not use tap water directly to raise the turtle.
3. Red eye
Mild red eye: The eyelids are slightly red, and the turtle often scratches its eyes with its claws.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, use a heating rod to maintain a constant temperature of 30 degrees Celsius for raising the turtle, maintain water quality, and feed more fish.
Moderate red eye: The turtle cannot open its eyes, slightly red, and some turtles may refuse to eat.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, keep the sick turtle dry, and use chloramphenicol eye drops (any anti-inflammatory eye drops can be used instead) three times a day, one drop each time.
Severe red eye: The eyes are swollen, the turtle refuses to eat, and looks lethargic.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, keep the sick turtle dry, use chloramphenicol eye drops (any anti-inflammatory eye drops can be used instead) three times a day, two drops each time, and apply chloramphenicol ointment.
Prevention: Maintain clean water quality, change the water immediately after feeding, or feed the turtle in a separate tank. After feeding greasy foods such as pork, if there is oil stains on the turtle tank, it must be cleaned. Eat more fish and carrots (can be steamed) to enhance eye resistance. Feed foods rich in vitamin B appropriately or regularly to strengthen the turtle's eye antibacterial power.
4. Rotting skin
Mild rotting skin: The affected area of the turtle is ulcerated, and the skin appears white.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, apply povidone-iodine or iodophor to the affected area two to three times a day, wait for thirty minutes, then return to the water. Expose the turtle to more sunlight and pay attention to water quality.
Severe rotting skin: The affected area will shed nails, the area of necrosis will expand, a slight foul smell may be present, and it may even bleed.
Treatment: Disinfect the tank, keep the sick turtle dry, apply povidone-iodine to the affected area after disinfection, and expose the area to direct sunlight. Soak the turtle in water for a few hours and feed it during the soaking. Expose the turtle to more sunlight.
Prevention: Pay more attention to water quality and change the water frequently.
5. Rotting shell
Mild rotting shell: White spots appear on the turtle's back shell or belly shell. Pressing the affected area will feel soft, and the turtle will experience pain and struggle.
Treatment: Apply iodophor for disinfection every day, feed more shrimp (with shells), and expose the turtle to more sunlight.
Severe rotting shell: The affected area emits a foul smell, and blood may be squeezed out when pressed. If the treatment is delayed, the area may ulcerate and form a hole.
Treatment: Remove the affected area, wash the wound with hydrogen peroxide, and apply Yunnan Baiyao or iodophor.
Prevention: Pay attention to clean water quality.
6. Gastrointestinal disease
Mild gastrointestinal disease: Green or soft foul-smelling feces, and the sick turtle floats on the water surface.
Treatment: Stop feeding, keep the temperature at a constant 28 degrees Celsius, soak the turtle in a solution of terramycin or Bacillus subtilis, with a ratio of one pill to 500ml of water. Administer the medication once a day for 2-3 hours.
Severe gastrointestinal disease: The sick turtle looks lethargic, weak, refuses to eat anything, and has foul-smelling, soft, and green or bloody feces. The turtle floats on the water surface.
Treatment: Stop feeding, keep the temperature at a constant 28 degrees Celsius, soak the turtle in a solution of terramycin (one pill to 500ml of water) and administer Maixie Intestinal Soothing (which can be purchased online).
Prevention: Do not feed food that has been frozen and not completely thawed, and it is best to feed fresh food.
The Alligator snapping turtle does not have any special requirements for food, but it is a dangerous turtle. Do not attempt to hold food in your hand for it to bite, as this is a very dangerous action. As for the choice of food for the snapping turtle, it is best to meet its appetite.
When raising in natural conditions, feed once a day in early spring and early winter, when the temperature is higher at noon. From spring to late autumn, this is the peak season for the turtle to eat, feed twice a day, preferably at 9-10 am and 4-5 pm. The morning feeding should be 40% of the total amount of feed, and the afternoon feeding should be 60%. The feed can be placed on a slope or in a corner of the pond. A wooden board can also be placed underwater at the slope for feeding. Once a fixed place for feeding is established, it should not be changed frequently. The feed should be consumed within 90-150 minutes. If the turtle cannot eat it all, feed less next time. Feed more for larger turtles and less for smaller turtles. The amount of feed should generally account for 3-5% of the turtle's body weight. The feed intake is lower in spring and autumn and higher in summer.
There are many types of feed available, and compound feed can also be used. However, large feed should be cut into smaller pieces, and hard feed should be soaked in water to soften it. Both raw and cooked feed can be used. Small and young turtles should be fed with nutrient-rich feed and it should be minced as much as possible to facilitate digestion. Do not feed spoiled feed. Some plant-based feed, such as fruits and vegetables, can also be added appropriately.
It is recommended to use specialized green compound feed for snapping turtles (with a protein content of over 48%). When preparing the feed, weigh the ingredients on site, add about 5%-10% of photosynthetic bacteria and about 45% of clean water to the feed, and make elongated particles with a diameter of 2mm-3mm. If conditions permit, make floating expanded pellets for better results.
The feeding amount of compound feed is 1.5%-2.5% of the total weight of the turtle, and the feeding amount of fresh feed is 5%-10%. Feed three times a day, at 6-7 am, 12-1 pm, and 5-6 pm respectively. Spread the feed evenly and try to make a sound when the feed enters the water. Avoid concentrating the feed in one place, causing the feed to pile up. The number of feeders in each pond should be determined according to the size of the pond, generally 3-4 per square meter.
Pet Encyclopedia
