The Biggest Turtle I Have Ever Seen In New Jersey!🐢

Since it is turtle season here in the Garden State, I thought I'd share an encounter I had one summer with the biggest turtle I have ever seen, and it was living here in the marshes of New Jersey, and we kinda bumped into one another.

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This particular turtle is a Common Snapping Turtle. We think of "snappers" as awnry turtles that are a foot long but have quite a bite, but this turtle was the size of a dog and had claws the size of my hand. There was no way I was picking this guy up.

5 Incredible Snapping Turtle Facts!

• A snapping turtle in captivity can live up to 50 years.
• These turtles are nocturnal, so they hunt at night.
• The mouth of a snapping turtle is shaped like the hooked beak of a bird.
• These turtles live in lakes, ponds, canals, and rivers.
• Snapping turtles are solitary (live alone) most of the time.

Read More: Your 2025 Guide to Kid-Friendly Summer Fun in New Jersey

I was out hiking and snapping (no pun intended) photos on a beautiful Saturday at the Edwin B Forsythe Wildlife Refuge when, in the distance, I saw something. I wasn't sure what... maybe a goose or a dog? As I got closer, I could see it was neither, it was some kind of reptile, and finally, I could see it was a turtle... a huge turtle. The biggest turtle I've seen in the wild!

As it turns out, it is a "snapping" turtle, and these turtles are strong and can move pretty quickly, especially their fierce jaws, which can do some damage! Keep your fingers and toes away from his chompers!