# Baby Alligator Snapper



## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Got this beautiful baby Alligator Snapper from Baddfish.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

If you want to get one, PM Baddfish.


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

that's awesome dude, I snapped a few pictures of one when I was at the zoo. What are you going to do when he gets bigger?


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

elTwitcho said:


> that's awesome dude, I snapped a few pictures of one when I was at the zoo. What are you going to do when he gets bigger?


 Got some feeding tips from Baddfish. Only feed him twice a week and that will slow down his growth. A friend of his has an Alligator Snapper for 12 yrs and only 4" and is very healthy. Overfeeding will cause it to grow rapidly.


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

> Got some feeding tips from Baddfish. Only feed him twice a week and that will slow down his growth. A friend of his has an Alligator Snapper for 12 yrs and only 4" and is very healthy. Overfeeding will cause it to grow rapidly.


Serious load of crap!

No such thing as a 12 yr old 4" alligator snapper, let alone a "healthy" one.

Yes through starvation and malnutrition you can control the growth of the organism..it is neither healthy or moral, or ethical. The snapper in your photos by the way is a Common Snapping Turtle (_Chelydra serpentina_)....NOT an Alligator Snapping Turtle (_Macrochelys temmincki_). Which by the way means it will grow much more rapidly than you realize, but it will not reach the potentially HUGE adult size that the Macrochelys males reach.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

The common snapper (Chelydra) has a rather rounded smooth carapace, the alligator snapper's shell has three large, pronounced ridges running front to back across its massive shell. These ridges are very pronounced even in hatchling specimens, which also have a tail that is almost as long as the carapace itself. Mine has 3 ridges on his shell and a long tail. Here's a pic of Chelydra.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Take a good look a the length of his tail.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Go to "Little snapper, hand feeding pellet" thread by Traumatic and see the difference of his turtle and mine.


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

> The common snapper (Chelydra) has a rather rounded smooth carapace, the alligator snapper's shell has three large, pronounced ridges running front to back across its massive shell. These ridges are very pronounced even in hatchling specimens, which also have a tail that is almost as long as the carapace itself. Mine has 3 ridges on his shell and a long tail. Here's a pic of Chelydra.


Now your best picture so far as to identify is the side view...not for the length of the tail, but for counting the scutes...you may indeed have a Macrochelys...as it appears to have the extra row of scutes between the costals and marginals..a better picture like that would be a decisive factor....

Realize though as hatchlings, Chelydra have 3 VERY pronounced ridges running longitudinally down their shell also, the picture you posted of an OLD adult Chelydra is typical of the wear they exhibit as they age...as Macrochelys age they stay pronounced..but again that is not the case with hatchlings or young Chelydra. The tail is also very long in Chelydra...neither of these characteristics by the way identify the Genus Macrochelys....Macrochelys has a MASSIVE head for its size and a wickedly hooked "beak", and has an extra series of scutes between the marginals and costals...aside form those physical characteristics there is the inside of the mouth....muddy brown and blotched in Macrochelys with a worm-like apendage on the floor of the mouth...uni-colored and lacking apendage in Chelydra.

Get some better clearer pics of its sides up...for you may have put the gloves up







correctly to defend your identification.....(







much to my chagrine...but you also learned what makes the difference and how to identify these remarkable animals )

I also hope you seriously understand the major problems with inadequate care and diet.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

My digital camera can't get that close for a clear pic. Here's one with him wiggling his worm like tongue trying to get a rosie. He stayed in that position for a long time.


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

The appendage is actually not a tongue..but that is definately an identifier for Macrochelys







as are the extra scutes...

see what happens when ya blow through pics too quickly








You have to stand corrected







on an ID..SO chan, you have indeed aquired (_Macrochelys temminki_) a HUGE responsibility, and a captive that will outlive you if cared for correctly...


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Crockeeper, your input is much appreciated. Thank you for commenting on my thread.


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## Novato (Jan 25, 2004)

Cool! i just got one too. Its around 4 inches.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Novato said:


> Cool! i just got one too. Its around 4 inches.


 Can you post a pic?


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

I thank you for seriously questioning my ID, it is important to question that is where science advances my freinds...I do not remember who said it, but the quote was "Fe que no duda, es fe muerta" (Faith that does not question is dead faith) By questioning you put a good use to a thread that was seriously offensive to me in the care department. I try to comment where I feel it is helpfull, and I am glad you took the side pic...that single pic made a huge difference in what I was looking at...I hope you realize that a "starvation diet" is wholly unacceptable.....I am also glad we have members who have grey matter where it belongs..not just a hat rack!
Thank you also in being gracious, my size 11's taste a little better as a result of it!


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Should I feed him daily or every other day?


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Depends what you feed him. But every other day to every three days is adequate...Keep the diet varied, and offer lots of different things...I feed my young ones earthworms, crickets, minnows, bluegill fry, tadpoles, mealworms, beetles(adult mealworms), pinky rats, mice, hatchling pigeons, etc... that should give you an idea what I mean by varied...avoid goldfish, I suggest that you get a minnow trap put in some dog food, and catch your own feeders.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Thanks Crockeeper, will do.


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

Very nice







they make a mess and eat everything they can...


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

physco 1 said:


> Very nice
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He is not eating any food (fish piece, shrimp, beefheart) I have offered him yet, but trying to catch rosies. Is he adjusting to his new tank before he will eat the food that I offer him?


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## insomnia (Apr 7, 2004)

Yes, feed them a good regular diet. Whoever says underfeeding them will keep them small is BSing, it'll just warp their health. Thats the exact type of thinking that gets people stuck with pets they think will never grow.

Anyhow, that snapper should be fun, see what he likes and enjoy feeding him!


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Chan, since they are ambush predators, get a LONG pair of forceps, and wiggle gently the peices of food in front of him as if it were alive....


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## WolfFish (Jun 30, 2004)

i love snapping turtles (alligator and common







) I am considering getting one and putting it in a 40g for a few years, but after seeing crockeepers 90 year old monster i am having second thougts. What do people do with them when they get too big? Other than letting them go.

Also how many minnows do you get from a minnow trap? Does it have to be in a fast flowing river?


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

WolfFish, I better let Crockeeper answer that for you.

Eventhough my snapper won't eat food that I gave him, he caught his 1st rosie.


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

As long as he's catching fish, you're all set! Once he's comfortable catching and eating, kill a rosie and hold it in front of him with forceps and wiggle it. Guaranteed he'll go for it. Once he's doing that try with something else, like Hikari carni sticks or a small red worm. Only problem is, he'll start going nuts whae he sees the forceps, lol. Those are one of my favorite turtles especially around the 5-6" range, they develop their own personality, mostly an outgoing,"Hey want food here" kind. Watching them angle for fish is a riot, especially when they clamp onto a good size feeder and get shaken around without letting go. I'm raising a common right now that I found climbing out of it's nest. Funny litle chowhound.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Thanks Bawb2u for the info.


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Wolf..both are seriously cool turtles. The size and longevity though is an issue, can't just release them, and you need to have a home already in place...they are not something a zoo just wants, as very rarely are the genetics and loaclity aknown thing...and private keepers that want them are hard to come by as well.....when they grow up. Commons grow faster and are much more outgoing than the Alligator snapper, but they are both some of my absolute favorite chelonians...it is a tough choice to make when looking into things like this, just make sure you make an *informed* decision.


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## WolfFish (Jun 30, 2004)

they do grow slowly which is good, its just what to do when they get too big. How much space are we talking about say in 20 years? Also this is my last chance to get an alligator snapper so i better make up my mind soon.


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## sharpteeth (Feb 14, 2004)

nice looking turtle


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

WolfFish said:


> they do grow slowly which is good, its just what to do when they get too big. How much space are we talking about say in 20 years? Also this is my last chance to get an alligator snapper so i better make up my mind soon.


 20 yrs is a long time, you might have a ranch to take care of your turtle. If you want one, give Baddfish a PM.


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

CrocKeeper said:


> > Got some feeding tips from Baddfish. Only feed him twice a week and that will slow down his growth. A friend of his has an Alligator Snapper for 12 yrs and only 4" and is very healthy. Overfeeding will cause it to grow rapidly.
> 
> 
> Serious load of crap!
> ...


 MAYB FOUR FEET!

Alligator snappers get hhuuggee...you have no idea what you got yourself into!

I dont kno how you are going to get rid of it..but dont let it go because it will try to find where it originally was born and it will end up crossing roads and killing itself..


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

OO nevermind I didnt bother looking at the pics, common snappers get big too tho..


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## WolfFish (Jun 30, 2004)

aaron07_20 said:


> OO nevermind I didnt bother looking at the pics, common snappers get big too tho..


 it is an alligator snapper, read the whole thread and you will see you're not the only one who thought otherwise.


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

WolfFish said:


> aaron07_20 said:
> 
> 
> > OO nevermind I didnt bother looking at the pics, common snappers get big too tho..
> ...


 It kinda hard to tell cause you can barely see the ridges on the shell..


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