Texas Game Warden Daniel Roraback has assisted with a variety of wildlife related calls over the years but relocating a Alligator Snapping Turtle “ranks up there with the best.”
The pre-historic giant was spotted by a concerned citizen in Red River County near a roadway.
“He was found in a small puddle exposed to the winter elements after recent flood water receded. We successfully relocated it to a larger slough nearby that feeds in a major northeast Texas watershed,” said Roraback.
A threatened species in Texas, alligator snapping turtles are capable of living to 200 years of age, but 60 to 120 is more likely, according to Wikipedia.
” I estimated the weight to be 115 – 125lbs with a carapace or shell length of 30.2″, width of 25.9″, and skull just under 10″ wide. Turtles of this size are estimated to be over 100 years.”
Some myths claim that alligator snapping turtles are known to attack people, but this isn’t the case. according to The National Wildlife Federation. But with a bite force of 1,000 pounds, their powerful jaws can snap through bone — so they should never be handled in the wild.
PHOTO: Game Warden Daniel Roraback
