Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
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The common snapping turtle, like all the native turtles in the HPG, first appear when an adult female turtle leaves the relative safety of Town Lake, walks across the hike and bike trail, heads across the empty field, crosses Stratford Drive, goes under the fence, and climbs the rather steep hill to the ponds in Zilker Botanical Gardens. In early summer they dig a hole and lay their eggs, and we begin to encounter the baby turtles as they hatch in July, August, and September. If you are lucky enough to meet a large female common snapper on the paths of the HPG, give her a wide berth, as she will defend herself vigorously on land! A large turtle can easily remove a finger if you are unwise enough to try to handle it. The adults don't stay in the garden for long, probably because there is not enough large prey in the ponds. The common snapper in the photo at above left is a yearling warily coming to the surface to take a breath of air. The image to the right is the same individual a year later. Below is a view of the turtle underwater in the Garden pond.
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class: Reptilia / order: Chelonia / family: Chelydridae / genus: Chelydra / species: serpentina
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