You most likely know the alligator snapping turtle for its fearsome bite force. After all, the hint is right there, in the name. But what makes this turtle so powerful compared to other species?
Today, we will look into the snapping turtles’ ability to…snap stuff, some of which isn’t meant to be snapped.
So, buckle up because this concerns you as a novice snapping turtle owner-wannabe.
Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Force
Alligator snapping turtles can produce around 1,000 psi of force, which is enough to crush bones. By comparison, humans can produce around 120-160 psi of force.
The bite force may seem overkill, as none of the turtle’s prey can sustain even 15% of that, but it makes sense if you analyze the turtle’s diet and behavior.
Snapping turtles, although fairly agile when swimming, rely mostly on ambush to capture their prey. Especially when it comes to reptiles, fish, and swimming mammals that can use speed to escape death.
So, the turtle relies on its camouflaged body and slow swimming to close the distance to the prey and deliver the deadly bite.
The bite must be powerful enough to crush the prey instantly, which is exactly what it does. Then you have the fact that snapping turtles feed primarily on hard-shelled animals, which explains the need for excessive force.
Finally, snapping turtles don’t have many defensive capabilities aside from their shell.
But the shell doesn’t protect much because many turtle predators have learned to circumvent this barrier.
So, the turtle also relies on its hard beak and jaw power to inflict severe wounds on any predator attempting to turn the reptile into prey.
You would be amazed to find out how much of a deterrent a snapping turtle bite can be.
Alligator Snapping Turtle Striking Range
The turtle’s striking range is rather modest, only spanning up to 6 inches. As a general rule, the striking distance is generally half of the turtle’s body.
For a 12-inch turtle, that would be 6 inches, but most turtles won’t get that big anyway.
The short striking range is influenced by the reptile’s anatomy. Snapping turtles only strike by extending their necks because they have limited agility and flexibility otherwise. This forces them to close the distance to their prey as much as possible before delivering the debilitating strike.
However, there are other factors influencing the turtle’s striking range, including the environment, the turtle’s body position and size, and the level of hunger that the turtle is experiencing.
The latter is most likely the most impactful factor of all. A really starving turtle may expand its reach considerably by using extra energy to also propel its body forward with the bite.
So, you should exercise extra caution when feeding your turtle by hand. Especially since your fingers are just large, meaty, and crunchy worms, perfect for a snack.
Make no mistake, 1,000 psi is more than enough to help the turtle separate your fingers from the rest of your body.
Are Alligator Snapping Turtles Venomous?
No, alligator snapping turtles are not venomous, and they don’t need to be. Their ambush-based hunting tactic, combined with the bone-breaking jaw force and the steel-hard bone and keratin beak, is enough to deliver instant death.
Not to mention, snapping turtles don’t kill their prey and wait before eating it.
Instead, they snap the animal instantly and ingest it on the spot if it’s of the right size. If not, the turtle will use its sharp claws to tear through the prey and break it into smaller pieces.
Either way, the turtle has no use for slow-acting venom; the deadly beak is the perfect substitute for that.
Dangers of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite
A snapping turtle’s bite carries a variety of dangers, depending on the turtle’s size, aggression level, the place of bite, and any potential complications that may follow.
For the sake of argument, we’ll look into the darkest situation you can get, where you have a large and very powerful turtle that delivers its bite with full force.
What you get is:
- Punctured skin and tissue – The sharp and bent beak can easily pierce human skin and tear muscles of bone. Large snapping turtles can inflict serious open wounds that are prone to infection due to the bacteria present in the turtle’s mouth. While snapping turtles are not venomous, their bites often deliver similar effects anyway due to the secondary infections that ensue.
- Break bones – It’s very likely that the turtle’s bite can break smaller bones like fingers and even amputate them entirely. Even more importantly, it can all happen in the blink of an eye. Snapping turtles are not alligators that clamp on your limb and then begin to death-roll to separate the limb from the body. Instead, they rely on their razor-sharp beak to amputate the limb instantly. You won’t even realize it happened until you do.
- Bleeding – The surface bleeding is normal and not particularly dangerous. The problem is that the snapping turtle’s beak is arched, sharp, hard, and very pointy. So, it’s not out of the question for the turtle to inflict severe internal wounds that could lead to internal hemorrhage. Naturally, this has a lot to do with the place of bite. A neck bite is naturally a lot more dangerous than a hand one. To put it simply, don’t let your snapping turtle bite you from any vital organs or areas.
We should mention that not all turtles bite with the same force. Some turtles may also apply ‘preventive’ bites if you will, where they only use a fraction of their real force.
That’s because they recognize that the intruder (in this case, you) isn’t fit for prey. So, the turtle only delivers a ‘keep your distance’ bite to deter you from approaching the animal.
Snakes also do this, with many venomous species applying dry bites (no venom injected) or only injecting a small amount, enough to produce visible discomfort but not enough to kill.
Naturally, you can’t rely on this behavior when approaching the turtle because you never know how it might act. It might give you a friendly bite, or it might decide you don’t need as many fingers, to begin with.
Plus, never underestimate snapping turtle’s clawing abilities. Despite not being the most agile or flexible animal in the world, the snapping turtle is a very powerful animal with very powerful limbs and claws.
One swim can inflict deep wounds that can infect and cause massive bleeding.
So, you want to avoid any situations that could result in bites or clawing. Let’s see how you can do that!
Preventing Alligator Turtle Bite
For the sake of saving space, we’ll only discuss how to prevent alligator turtle bites in the wild.
Then you can simply use this information and apply it to pet alligator turtles because it operates on the same principles.
So, here are the main prevention methods to use:
- Give the turtle space – Nothing works better for preventing the turtle’s bite than keeping your distance, to begin with. If you’re out in the wild in the turtle’s natural habitat, keep an eye out for any snapping monster swimming near you. If you spot one, turn back. Snapping turtles don’t see humans as prey, so, at most, the turtle may approach you out of curiosity but will quickly back down once it realizes what you are. It’s pretty much unheard of for a snapping turtle to chase a human or approach one intentionally with the goal of biting. Most snapping turtle bites are the result of humans provoking the reptile to gauge its reaction and a reaction is what they get. The rest of the incidents have to do with mishaps during feeding or handling the animal.
- Watch your step – Snapping turtles spend most of their time in the water, but they also come near the shore for a well-deserved sunbathing session. The issue is that it may be difficult to observe the turtle, especially if it sits still near a rocky structure. The reptile’s shell allows the animal to camouflage quite well within its ecosystem, and it can fool anyone. So, always keep your eyes open for any awkwardly-shaped rock that could snape your toes in two.
- Don’t touch – This is another common-sense piece of advice. If you can’t resist getting close to the animal, at least don’t touch it. More specifically, don’t touch the area around the mouth, neck, or front legs. Snapping turtles are not known for their agility and flexibility, but they are known for their quickness and aggression. One wrong move and the turtle can definitely make your body lighter by removing some small appendices.
- Wear protective gear – The latter point doesn’t really apply to captive-bred turtles because you sometimes need to touch them; it’s not optional. So, if you need to do that, wear protective gear, gloves specifically. Make sure they are meant for reptile use and that they can protect you against snapping turtles specifically.
While these are good prevention tips to consider, they’re not infallible. Sometimes, you simply fail to notice the turtle in time when navigating its natural habitat.
Or you might mishandle it by accident in captivity, in which case the bite might occur naturally. What then?
Treating an Alligator Turtle Bite
As we’ve already discussed, the damages inflicted by a snapping turtle can vary dramatically depending on the turtle itself, the bite force, and the bite site, among other things.
No matter the bite’s effects, here are the most-dos in a scenario like this:
- Stop the bleeding – This is the first thing to do because any bleeding can be dangerous. Especially if you were bitten in a sensitive area with a lot of blood vessels. Applying direct pressure on the bite site should stop the bleeding shortly, depending on the severity of the wound. If the wound is too deep and the bleeding is severe, keep applying pressure until help arrives.
- Call for help – Call 911 or have someone call 911 immediately if the bite wound is located on a vital organ, like the neck, groin, or face. Immediate medical assistance is even more warranted if the bite wound itself is severe.
- Clean the wound – You should immediately clean the wound with warm water and soap before help arrives. This reduces the risk of infection significantly.
- Watch out for signs of infection – You may not need to call for medical help if the bite wound is mild. But if the turtle’s bite pierced the skin, you should definitely watch out for signs of infection. Seek medical attention immediately in case of visible local inflammation, redness, pain, puss, and generalized fever.
Fortunately, snapping turtle bites are fairly rare in captivity because most turtle owners already know what they’re dealing with.
It’s also easy to avoid the bites in the first place because you only need to physically interact with the turtle sparingly.
Conclusion
Snapping turtles are not eager to bite humans, but they are aggressive and powerful animals.
You should always be wary of their ability to inflict serious wounds with one simple snap of the head.
You don’t even need to take my word for it. Feeding your turtle its first live rat should make the case for me quite easily.
