# Alligator snapping turtle (*Macrochelys temminckii*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/alligator-snapping-turtle  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a reptile in the turtles and tortoises subgroup, belonging to the family Chelydridae and the order Testudines. It falls in the large size class, with a representative adult body mass of 42.15 kg and reported values from 23.5 to 78.9 kg. It lays 1 clutch per year of 24.75 eggs, which incubate for 84 days, and reaches sexual maturity at 11 years. The IUCN Red List classifies it as Endangered (EN), a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 23.5 kg – 78.9 kg |
| Length | up to 80.8 cm |
| Lifespan | 58.8 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 80 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | freshwater |
| Egg incubation | 84 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 10 – 50 |
| Age at maturity | 11 years – 12 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Aquatic |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Testudines
- family: Chelydridae
- genus: Macrochelys
- species: *Macrochelys temminckii* (Troost, 1835)

Synonyms: *Chelonura temminckii*, *Gypochelys lacertina*, *Macrochelys apalachicolae*, *Macrochelys auffenbergi*, *Macroclemys temminckii*, *Testudo planitia*

## Common questions

### How heavy is the alligator snapping turtle?

Its representative adult body mass is 42.15 kg, with reported values from 23.5 to 78.9 kg.

### Is the alligator snapping turtle endangered?

Yes. It is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, a threatened category.

### How long does the alligator snapping turtle live?

Its lifespan is given as 58.8 years, with values up to 70.3 years reported.

### What kind of animal is the alligator snapping turtle?

It is a reptile in the turtles and tortoises subgroup, in the family Chelydridae of the order Testudines.

### How many eggs does the alligator snapping turtle lay?

It lays 24.75 eggs per clutch, with 1 clutch per year, and the eggs incubate for 84 days.

### When does the alligator snapping turtle reach maturity?

It reaches sexual maturity at 11 years, with values up to 12 years reported.

### Who named the alligator snapping turtle?

Its scientific name, Macrochelys temminckii, is attributed to (Troost, 1835).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4), CC BY 4.0, v1-2. Oskyrko, O., Mi, C., Meiri, S. et al. (2024) ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles. Scientific Data 11: 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03079-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/alligator-snapping-turtle