ID help needed?

[allkreatures]

This is a wild Turtle, I do have other pics but all are iffy, I know common snappers are smooth shelled and I am in NYS where there are no alligator snappers...this guy is very big, this is just a shell shot. (and one in water)Can anyone tell me what he might be? thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Hard to say from those shots, however, I THINK the alligator snapper has three distinct ridges on his carapace. This looks like it may just be dirt or algae, so I'm going to guess common snapper.

 

[harris]

Chelydra serpentina serpentina - Common snapper. They get VERY large, especially the females.

 

[Berkeley]

Yep, it is a common snapper.
Cool pics! Makes it look kind of like a sea monster!

--Berkeley

 

[allkreatures]

Thanks all, I have one more shot, the reason i have to not go with algae/dirt is the pattern stays the same all the time, if you have the ability to zoom in further please do!, I have been trying to get a shot of him(her) for a couple years, out of water or anything---but altho I have a ton of pics. i was concentrating on these because the shell is just so odd.?---heres just one more.......

 

[Markw84]

I will stay with the original opinions of common snapping turtle. No other turtle has such a pronounced, bulging, jaw muscularture that is so much wider than the eye spacing. You can see that in the top picture. They do get algae growth on their shells that can become quite rough. And that algae growth will remain with them until they shed and would not change.

 

[Moozillion]

Really neat thread- I learned a lot from reading it!