Alligator snappers enjoy sunny habitats.
An alligator snapper requires a large habitat and a variety of foods when you keep it as a pet. Since alligator snappers are the world's heaviest freshwater turtles and can bite people, they can be difficult to handle. Only experienced turtle handlers should attempt to care for alligator snappers. These turtles can grow to be 26 inches long and can weigh up to 150 pounds. Alligator snappers have three ridges on their shells and triangular heads.
Food
Alligator snappers need to eat fruits, vegetables and meat. These turtles can eat snakes, clams, frogs and other turtles in the wild. Pet alligator snappers must eat fruits and vegetables such as grapes, apples, cherries and water lettuce. You can feed them cooked chicken, small minnows, guppies, mice and rats as sources of meat. Small, young turtles need their food sliced before they eat it, but large adults can eat whole, live food. If you feed your alligator snapper live fish, it will lure the fish into its mouth with its worm-like tongue.
Young Alligator Snapper Environment
Young, wild alligator snappers are born in sandy nests next to water. You can raise a hatchling in a 20- to 50-gallon tank until it is a year old or grows too large for the tank. You must then move your alligator snapper to a larger stock tank or pond until it is grown. Add a water filter to your alligator snapper's tank so you can avoid changing the water each week to keep it clean.
Adult Alligator Snapper Environment
Wild alligator snappers live in deep rivers, lakes, canals and swamps when they are adults. Pet alligator snappers need to live in habitats that mimic their natural environments. The best habitat for a pet alligator snapper is an outdoor pond. You can also keep it in an 800-gallon stock tank. Alligator snappers enjoy hiding behind obstructions in their environments, so you should put several large, smooth rocks or logs into your snapper's habitat. If your alligator snapper is less than 12 inches long, it can live in a 100-gallon aquarium. An alligator snapper should not live in a habitat with other animals.
Safety
Alligator snappers rarely attack people. These turtles, however, have large heads, hard shells and strong jaws, so you must be cautious when you handle them. These turtles are strong enough to bite through broom handles, so you must avoid touching them if possible. Always keep your hands, feet and clothing away from the head of an alligator snapper.
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