Alligator Snapping Turtle Hatchling
Macrochelys temminckii (hatchling)
This newly hatched turtle lives in quiet freshwater shallows, backwaters, and vegetated margins of southeastern rivers and swamps. It stays hidden among leaf litter and submerged debris, relying on stillness and its rough shell for protection. Hatchlings eat tiny aquatic insects, worms, small crustaceans, and carrion; despite their small size, they already possess the species' distinctive ridged shell.
- Type
- Water
- Conservation status
- EN
Growth chain
- Alligator Snapping Turtle Hatchling
- ?
- Alligator Snapping Turtle