FWC researchers catch 100-pound new alligator snapping turtle species
100-pound male Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys suwanniensis. (FWC)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — This isn't your average pet turtle.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) researchers were checking traps when they came upon a 100-pound male alligator snapping turtle.
FWC says it is collaborating with researchers in Florida and Georgia on the new species.
According to FWC, six traps, which are 4-feet in diameter, were set in the New River. The New River is a blackwater stream with low biological productivity, so finding a large turtle in such a small stream is unusual. New River is a 31-mile-long tributary of the Santa Fe River, north of Gainesville.
Along with the 100-pound turtle, crews also captured a 46-pound female, another trap had a 64-pound male. FWC believes the turtles are between 40-80 years old.