Snapping turtle

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Snapping turtle

Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder Cryptodira Family: Chelydridae
Genera
Acherontemys (extinct) Chelydrops (extinct) Chelydropsis (extinct) Emarginachelys (extinct) Macrocephalochelys (extinct) Planiplastron (extinct) Subfamily Chelydrinae Protochelydra (extinct) Macrochelys Chelydra

The snapping turtle is a very aggressive animal. The snapping turtle is also called an alligator turtle, because of its neck; the neck looks like an alligator's head. The size of the snapping turtle's shell is usually 40 - 45cm and its weigh is 10 - 15kg. The color of the shell is usually dark brown and some species are black. The snapping turtle's neck and the tail has many yellow and black darts. The body is covered with dark brown projections; the projection is one of the snapping turtle’s protections. Behind of its shell has the teeth of saw. The snapping turtle's meat has very special taste, and the meat is often using for cooking; usually in Japan. [1]

1 Anatomy
- 1.1 Internal turtle anatomy
- 1.2 Turtle bone anatomy
2 Reproduction
3 Ecology
4 As part of Chinese Diet
- 4.1 Turtle meat recipe
  - 4.1.1 Rua
  - 4.1.2 Ba ba
5 Gallery
6 Related References
7 See Also

Anatomy

Skull

The turtle's anatomy can be divided into two parts. One is Internal anatomy, and the other part is Bone anatomy. [2]

Internal turtle anatomy

Mouth Cavity: mouthpiece
Lungs: The two organs inside turtle's chest which fill with air when turtle breathe in
Stomach: The organ inside turtle's body where food is digested
Bladder: The part of turtle's body where urine is stored
Kidney: The organs in turtle's body that take waste matter from its blood
Rectum: The bottom end of the tube down which waste food passes out of turtle's body
Duodenum: The part of turtle's small intestine that is just below its stomach
Liver: A large organ in turtle's body which processes its blood and helps to clean unwanted substances out of it
Trachea: Turtle's windpipe
Heart: The organ in turtle's chest that pumps the blood around its body

Turtle bone anatomy

Horny shield Layer: The first protection of turtle
Ribs: The 12 pairs of curved bones that surround turtle's chest
Organ Space: Space that is filled with turtle's organ
Pelvis: Curved group of bones at the level of turtle's hips
Plastron: The plastron is turtle's one of protection. The plastron is very flat and solid and it * covers the stomach
Scapula: The scapula is turtle's shoulder blade
Bony layer: The layer that is covered with many bones
Skull: The bony part of turtle's head which encloses its brain
Mandible: The bone in the lower jaw of turtle
Neck Vertebrae: The small circular bones which is in Neck side
Carapace: The protective shell on the back of turtle
Tail: The part extending beyond the end of turtle's body. Especially the snapping turtle has spiky tail
Femur: The large bone in the upper part of turtle's leg.
Centrum: Central bone of turtle
Backbone: The column of small linked bones down the middle of turtle's back
Humerus: The upper leg's bone

Reproduction

The snapping turtle’s mating season is April through September. Female snapping turtle grows its eggs in its body. When the eggs are grown enough, the female snapping turtle digs sand and spread out their eggs to inside of the sand. Usually 83 eggs are spread out at once and the eggs are born 9~18weeks later Special characteristic of the snapping turtle is that female snapping turtle can save male’s sperm. For that reason, female can make its eggs anytime. [3]

Ecology

Baby turtle

The snapping turtle usually lives in brackish water zone in North of Canada, Coast of Mexico, and South of Texas. The snapping turtle hides in the mud of fresh water and waits to pass its prey. The snapping turtle has a great appetite, so the eat every animals around them; it is the biggest ecological problem that snapping turtle makes. Sometimes they eat even snakes that are bigger than snapping turtle. (It means the snapping turtle just ignoring the food chain. And also they are very aggressive that) even bites people.[4]

As part of Chinese Diet

Turtle meat

Snapping turtle’s meat is very unusual recipe for cooking. Most of the turtle’s recipes come from China. Why they eat the turtle’s meat? The reason for why they eat the turtle is considered weired in our culture. In China and some countries in Asia, the turtle represent the symbol of long life So they believed that if they eat the turtle, they could live a long life ; it is their own tradition. The turtle’s meat is also known as the food of vigor. No one actually knows that why the turtle’s meat is known as vigor food. But some Chinese say that "the reason for why they eat the turtle as vigor food is the snapping turtle spread out 83 eggs at once, so Chinese people believed that they could have many children as they can if they eat the turtle.”; having many children was China's hope.[5]

Turtle meat recipe

Rua

Chinese traditional stamina food. It is really unusual food among the stamina foods. There are many way to cook Rua and its sauce. The Rua is cook with many kinds of herbs and the seeds. It is good for consumptive, hemoptysis, bloody excrement, heart disease. It is also good for pregnant woman.[6]

Ba ba

The Ba ba is also stamina food like Rua. It is made by fresh water turtle, so it doesn’t have a fishy smell. The food Ba ba is really expansive food because of its taste; it tastes like a chicken.[7]