A precious member on the threatened species list was just rescued from a drain pipe in the town of Hockley (north of Houston) this past week. A 53-pound alligator snapping turtle, native to Texas and parts of the southeast U.S., was found trapped in the pipe by a resident and reported to the SPCA and the Rosehill Fire Department.
Lifestyle
Trapped Texas Alligator Snapping Turtle Freed by Jaws of Life
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Photo: Flickr/Christopher Evans
The crews required the jaws of life to open the pipe enough for the old guy to get out. Now recovering at the Houston SPCA’s Wildlife Center of Texas, he and one other alligator snapping turtle in their care will be returned to the wild after full recovery.
Photo: Flickr/hspauldi
The alligator snapping turtle, capable of a 200-year lifespan, are so-named because of their distinct shell features and powerful snapping jaws, which cause them to present as small dinosaurs and in the form of an alligator. Due to overharvesting, the species was placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature threatened species list in 2006.
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