Kansas turtles are threatened

Alligator snapping turtles, the largest freshwater turtle in North America, may soon be considered a threatened species. Habitat loss is one of the key factors in the dwindling numbers.

November 10, 2021 - 9:59 AM

This snapping turtle emerged from Elm Creek and up to the driveway of homeowners Susan Lynn and Brian Wolfe. Whether it’s an alligator snapping turtle, they are not certain, but it certainly is prehistoric-looking. Photo by Susan Lynn / Iola Register

Federal wildlife officials have proposed listing the “dinosaurs of the turtle world” as a threatened species, citing habitat loss across much of their range.

Alligator snapping turtles have powerful jaws that come to a point and tough spiny shells. Adult males can weigh nearly 250 lbs., making them the largest freshwater turtle in North America.

“These magnificent reptiles are sometimes called the dinosaurs of the turtle world because they look very prehistoric,” said Leopoldo Miranda-Castro, a regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,…

Already a subscriber?