The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) has powerful beak-like jaws and can be very vicious when removed from the water – but it becomes docile when placed back into the water. It prefers fresh or brackish water with muddy bottoms and lots of vegetation so that it can hide more easily. The snapping turtle spends almost all its time in water, but does go on land to lay eggs in sandy soil. It is found in the stretch from the south-western part of Rocky Mountains to the eastern coast of Florida and Nova Scotia, down to northeast Mexico. It is very widely seen in almost all water bodies in this vast area.
