Video of newly-discovered monster-sized turtle goes viral

Biologists have captured the largest specie of alligator snapping turtle which is also dubbed as ‘the dinosaur of the turtle world’ because of its beaklike jaw, spiked shell, and thick tail.

Videos and pictures of the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle shared by FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute took on Facebook went viral on social media platforms which made netizens and wildlife conservationists around the world excited over the discovery.

The 100-pound Suwannee alligator snapping turtle was captured by the biologists of FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the New River, north of Gainesville.

The current one has been recognised as Macrochelys suwanniensis as it was widely believed that there were only one living species of alligator snapping turtle. The average life span of these turtles is 70 but some alligator snapping turtles have been reported to be living for 100 years.

The reptile was given its common name because of its powerful jaws and distinct ridges on its shell that are similar in appearance of an alligator. These species are primarily found in the southeastern waters of the United States.

The massive reptile was found along with a 46-pound female and another 64-pound male in a hoop net trap which were later released back into the rivers after the biologists took photographs and recorded the vital stats.

The research institute wrote, “This week our biologists were out checking traps set for the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys suwanniensis. This is a new species that FWC helped describe in 2014.”

FWC also wrote in its post, “Six 4-foot diameter hoop net traps were set in the New River, north of Gainesville. In one trap, they caught a 100-pound male and a 46-pound female, another trap had a 64-pound male. The New River is a blackwater stream with low biological productivity, so finding a large turtle in such a small stream is unusual.”

The find has collaborated between FWC and other researchers in Florida and Georgia for research purpose for documenting the distribution and population size of the turtles.