{"id":1922,"date":"2024-01-29T20:27:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T01:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mote.org\/species\/alligator-snapping-turtle\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T23:34:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T04:34:33","slug":"alligator-snapping-turtle","status":"publish","type":"species","link":"https:\/\/mote.org\/animal-encyclopedia\/alligator-snapping-turtle\/","title":{"rendered":"Alligator snapping turtle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uniquely, alligator snapping turtles are the only species of turtle to have eyes positioned on the side of their head. This widens their peripheral vision allowing them to spot prey with ease. Moreover, their tongue has a worm-like appendage perfect for luring in prey. The turtle hides under the sand of a fresh or brackish waterway, pokes his tongue out and waits for a fish to fall for his trap (NWF). Alligator snapping turtles are solitary creatures enjoying little to no socialization amongst each other. They don’t provide any structure or care after birthing their offspring. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, these turtles are considered Vulnerable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3682,"template":"","class_list":["post-1922","species","type-species","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlligator snapping turtle | Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mote.org\/animal-encyclopedia\/alligator-snapping-turtle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alligator snapping turtle | Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Uniquely, alligator snapping turtles are the only species of turtle to have eyes positioned on the side of their head. 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