Hunting and Feeding: Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii)
The Alligator snapping turtle is a master of disguise;
blending seamlessly with the rocks and debris of its river based home it is the
ultimate ambush predator (Bowen et al, 2001).
This turtle gets its name from the crude but effective method of hunting mainly
due to the way it sits with its mouth open like a crocodile or alligator in the
sun, then snaps its jaws shut is a swift movement (Pritchard, P.C.H, 1989).
These unusual turtles inhabit the lake and river ecosystems of North America
and can grow up to 65cm long (Uhlenbroek, 2008).
Because the snapping turtles entire body – including the
inside of its mouth and eyes – are the same drab colour and pattern, the long,
wiggly, red tongue is the only distinguishing feature that can be seen by prey
and resembles perfectly the movement of a worm (Bowen et al, 2001). As such the turtle simply lies in wait, with its
hooked jaws held wide open, and wiggles its tongue around in an attempt to
mimic the movement of a worm to attract prey (Uhlenbroek, 2008).
Once prey comes close enough, the turtle quickly snaps its
hard jaws shut, crushing the prey instantly before swallowing (Pritchard,
P.C.H, 1989). The snapping turtles diet consists mainly of fish, snakes and
amphibians but they are also know to prey on other turtles or even readily eat
carrion if the opportunity arises (Uhlenbroek, 2008).
References:
Bowen, B.W., Moler, P.E., Roman, J. & Santhuff, S.D.
(2001). Population Structure and Cryptic Evolutionary Units
in the Alligator Snapping Turtle. Conservation
Biology, 13(1), 135-142.
Pritchard, P.C.H. (1989). The alligator snapping turtle: Biology and
conservation. Milwaukee Public Museum, WI.
Very neat! Would it be possible to post an image of this critter? There are loads of questions I could ask but I’ll keep them to a minimum! Are there many different types of snapping turtles? Do you know of other examples of animals that have adapted parts of their body to resemble lures? Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThere is only one type of turtle that snaps its mouth shut for feeding however there is another turtle called the common snapping turtle that cannot retract into its shell because it is too large and therefore uses its flat jaws to make a snapping sound as a defense. Many animals use the technique of using parts of their body as lures, some common ones are the rattle snake, wobbegong and angler fish. I have attempted to upload photos before and they just come up as blank spaces, but I will keep at it and hopefully achieve success.
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