Alligator snapper in Tennessee

There are two species of snapping turtle in America north of Mexico. By far the largest is the alligator snapping turtle which is found according to those jolly nice fellows at Wikipedia “primarily in freshwaters of the southeastern United States. It is found from the Florida Panhandle west to East Texas, north to southeastern Kansas, Missouri, southeastern Iowa, western Illinois, southern Indiana, west Michigan western Kentucky, Louisiana, and western Tennessee”. 

And so, the location where this particular snapping turtle was discovered would seem to be well within the range for this species. And so, by describing it as an invasive species (which it’s not) and removing it from the lake the people responsible for this posting, in my opinion, committing a wildlife crime. Ho hum.

Officials confused after unusual apex predator discovered in Tennessee lake: ‘Can be aggressive’

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