July 19, 2012

Nineteen species and subspecies of turtles are known to occur in Arkansas. One of these, the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. An adult turtle that is sometimes referred to as the “dinosaur of the turtle world,” can live up to 100 years and weigh almost 200 pounds. The turtle shown here, which was donated to the Little Rock Zoo, was caught in the White River near the small town of Guion (Izard County).