The alligator snapping turtle is a full species with no subspecies - unlike the common snapping turtles. They are members of the New World turtle family.

According to Mlynarski's classification, there are only two full groups classified as snapping turtles:

1. common snapping turtles - Chelydra serpentina, with four recognized subspecies
2. alligator snapping turtle - Macroclemys Temmincki, with no subspecies

The latin name 'Macroclemys' is sited in some literature as 'Macrochelys'. I am not sure yet why is that, but here in North America the name used to classify the alligator snapper is Macroclemys temmincki.

The full classification by Mlynarski (1969):

Order: Testudines
Suborder : Cryptodira

• Superfamily: Chelydroidea
• Families:
  ( 1 )Chelydridae
  • Chelydra serpentina serpentina - the Common Snapping Turtle (Linneaeus 1758)
  • Chelydra serpentina osceola - the Florida Snapping Turtle (Stejneger 1818)
  • Chelydra serpentina rossignoni - the Mexican Snapping Turtle (Bocourt 1868)
  • Chelydra serpentina acutirostris - the South-American
    (Equadorian) Snapping Turtle (Peters 1862)
  ( 2 )Macroclemys
  • Macroclemys temmincki - the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Troost 1835)