Question: Are they dangerous ?

Answer: Yes, definitely snapping turtles can be dangerous. It does not mean though that people should run away from them - and snappers will definitely never run after people or jump on them ! Common snapping turtles are solitary animals and prefer being left alone. When approached in water most certainly they will just swim away. On land though, if harrassed, they will stand their ground and not hesitate to bite. They have very long necks and are very powerful. Their bite can be painful, and a large adult snapper can cause a serious damage. They should always be approached and handled with caustion. The alligator snappers are just as powerful but easier to handle. They have short necks and can't reach as far as common snappers do. They grow to huge sizes, much bigger than comon snappers, and large adults have huge heads and what comes with it... jaws ! And adult alligator snapper weighing over 100 pounds can easily amputate fingers, and larger specimen even a hand. To find out more about snapping turtle identification please click here. Thanks for asking! Stan

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