Common Snapping Turtle Hatchling
Chelydra serpentina (hatchling)
Freshly hatched common snapping turtles leave sandy or loose-soil nests and head toward ponds, marshes, or slow streams. They feed on tiny aquatic invertebrates, carrion scraps, and small bits of animal matter while hiding among weeds and mud. Their shells are already ridged and protective, but hatchlings are vulnerable to birds, fish, raccoons, and larger turtles. A hatchling can still snap defensively despite being only a few centimeters long.
- Type
- Fang / Shell
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- Common Snapping Turtle Hatchling
- Common Snapping Turtle Juvenile
- Common Snapping Turtle