Search for anything, or pick a category.

  • At the Aquarium
    At the Aquarium
  • In the Field
    In the Field
  • Currents
    Currents
  • IMAX
    IMAX
Press ESC to exit.
Dive in! Get exclusive updates when you subscribe to Aquarium emails.

Fig. 1 Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)

Whoa! How big is that turtle?

Date Feb 19, 2019
Published in At the Aquarium

Performing an annual physical on the Aquarium’s largest freshwater turtle requires a group effort. Several members of our animal care team convened in the Delta Swamp recently to do just that.

Aquarium fans know that our massive Alligator Snapping Turtle typically spends his time beneath the surface of the Delta Swamp – often impersonating a small boulder on the bottom. So, the first step for our team was carefully getting him out of the water.

Once on land, the team worked quickly to get the measurements they needed. Final stats show that the turtle currently weighs 165 pounds and is nearly four feet long! Our experts say he continues to be in good health.

While it might be easy to imagine that lifting and keeping a massive, water-loving snapping turtle on land is hard work for our team, the process took less than five minutes. This efficiency keeps the turtle’s stress levels low. And, our team has a good “bedside manner.” They want to ensure the animals remain comfy whenever routine medical procedures, like checkups, are necessary.

“Imagine all of your 165 pounds being above the water with gravity working against you after being ‘weightless’ for so long!” explains Animal Care Specialist Jennifer Wawra.

“ Imagine all of your 165 pounds being above the water with gravity working against you after being ‘weightless’ for so long! ”
Alligator Snapping Turtle Being Measured

Fig. 2 Animal care team measuring Alligator Snapping Turtle

Working at the Alligator Snapping Turtle Exhibit
Alligator Snapping Turtle on a wooden plank
Alligator Snapping Turtle

Fig. 3 An alligator snapping turtle physical exam

This turtle is estimated to be around 80 years old and has been at the Aquarium since 1992.

In the wild, Alligator Snapping Turtles live in rivers which drain into the Gulf of Mexico. The adults hunt in the deep water of rivers, lakes, swamps, ponds and bayous where plants and algae enhance their camouflage. Best known for an adaptation that allows it to lure fish into its mouth, the alligator snapper is a bottom dweller that surfaces to breathe.

Keep Reading

Keep up with even more goings-on at the aquarium, or 
View All
View All
 →
 →
Delmar the North American River Otter at the Tennessee Aquarium
Saying goodbye to River Otter Falls’ oldest resident
Date Jan 26, 2023
At the Aquarium
Tangerine Darter on rock
Meet the Tangerine Darter: a little fish with a big…
Date Jan 23, 2023
Currents
Students search for insects in a sample tray
Conservation scientists lead students in search for macroinvertebrates
Date Jan 13, 2023
In the Field

Get Unlimited
Aquarium Access

Become an Aquarium Member and enjoy unlimited visits, discounted access to events, discounted IMAX access, and more.
Lets Go
Lets Go
 →
 →
Keep Exploring
At the Aquarium In the Field Currents IMAX
Dive Deeper
Visit the Aquarium Become a Member Donate

Riverwatch is a publication for the members of the Tennessee Aquarium.

Learn More
Learn More
 →
 →
© 2023 Tennessee Aquarium. All Rights Reserved.
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Support
•