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  • Tuesday: 10am – 5pm
  • Wednesday: 10am – 5pm
  • Thursday: 10am – 5pm
  • Friday: 10am – 5pm
  • Saturday: 10am – 5pm
  • Sunday: 10am – 5pm

He may be an old man but Godzilla could take down a crocodile half his age

The prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and among the largest in the world. With its spiked shell, beaklike jaws, and thick, scaled tail, this species is often referred to as the “dinosaur of the turtle world.”

Alligator snappers spend most of their lives in water, the exception being when females trudge about 160 feet inland to nest. They can stay submerged for 40 to 50 minutes before surfacing for air. The alligator snapper employs a unique natural lure in its hunting technique. Its tongue sports a bright-red, worm-shaped piece of flesh that, when displayed by a motionless turtle on a river bottom, draws curious fish or frogs close enough to be snatched.

Due to their bite these are seen as incredibly dangerous animals and are categorized the same as our Sand Tiger Sharks when it comes to danger. The legend behind Godzilla is that he was rehomed to Deep Sea World after being found by custom officers at Heathrow Airport which must of been a startling sight for any other passengers. We don’t know his official age but with a lifespan that can last 100 years he will surely be a pillar of the Temple of frogs for a long time to come.

Type

Turtle: Waterbound ambush predator

What do they eat?

fish, molluscs, carrion, and amphibians, aquatic birds, snakes

Size

Max 80cm

Water Type

Fresh Water

Where are we?

United States of America

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