Snapping turtle care and temperaments?

[Stitchex]

Well, my aunt caught some snapping turtles when she was fishing, and she offered me one. I'm going to work on convincing her to let them go, as I'm pretty sure they get quite big, but if she decided to not let them go, then I'm just wondering the care of these guys, and the temperaments. I would like to keep my hands, thank you very much lol:main_laugh:

Anyways, do they need ground, or just water their whole lives? Not really sure on these guys. Thanks,

Stitchex

 

[ariana]

i do believe it is illegal to keep them,
so tell her that and maybe she will reconsider keeping them

 

[Next Level Geckos]

hmm, cook it and make turtle soup? :main_laugh:

 

[ariana]

ohhh NLG thats mean lol
I LOVE IT!
muwahhahahaha >
actaully i was srong they arent illegal thats box turtles i think. but u can tell her that anyway lol

 

[Stitchex]

LOL I know my uncle wouldn't mind turtle soup! I don't really want to mislead her about them being illegal, but that's a good idea xD. Does anyone have a care sheet for the common snapping turtle?

 

[Riyo]

I would check here for the laws on snappers here: http://www.chelydra.org/turtle_usa_american_law.html

Here is a good site on them: http://www.chelydra.org/

Snapping turtles are considered a protected species. They also get rather large and can easily and severely hurt you. You might want to reconsider owning one, in my opinion. I hope you can convince her to just let them go.

 

[T&KBrouse]

Snappers can get quite large and aren't known for their charming dispositions. They have a nasty bite and can easily take off a finger, even when they're young. They're very high maintenance and can be easily provoked when you need to change their enclosures. (Which is often)
They need larger tanks with lots of water and an area to "dry dock" when they want to. Being aquatic, you have to watch for health issues, such as shell rot, etc. and they get offended when you try to give them meds. (Go figure)
Definitely not recommended for a beginner and most well seasoned turtle keepers won't keep them.

 

[Stitchex]

Thanks Kasey and Brouse! I sort of figured that they weren't a great beginner pet, what with their size and all. I'll send the links to my aunt, Kasey^^. Thanks again!