Common snapping turtle: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the common snapping turtle lives – recorded in 3 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Chelydra serpentina
Group	Turtles & tortoises
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	3 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Diet (main food)	Reptilia, Amphibia, fish, aquatic plant, carrion, invertebrate, bird, mammal
Class	Reptile
Order	Testudines
Family	Chelydridae

Where does the common snapping turtle live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the common snapping turtle in 3 countries and territories across Europe and North America. In France it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What does a common snapping turtle eat?

Wikidata lists the main food source of the common snapping turtle as: Reptilia, Amphibia, fish, aquatic plant, carrion, invertebrate, bird, mammal.

Is the common snapping turtle endangered?

The common snapping turtle’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the common snapping turtle?

The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a reptile in the order Testudines and the family Chelydridae, genus Chelydra. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the common snapping turtle

The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a species of large, freshwater turtles in the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia, and Florida. The present-day C. serpentina population in the Middle Rio Grande suggests that the common snapping turtle has been present in this drainage since at least the 17th century and is likely native. The three species of Chelydra and the larger alligator snapping turtles (genus Macrochelys) are the only extant chelydrids, a family now restricted to the Americas. The common snapping turtle, as its name implies, is the most widespread.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Common snapping turtle (revision 1378386686), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q289435 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).