The turtle world contains a vast diversity of species occupying all types of habitats. From giant leatherbacks to tiny musk turtles, these reptiles come in endless shapes and sizes.
Two species that captivate people but differ dramatically are the common snapping turtle and the colorful Eastern box turtle. Snapping turtles are large, aggressive predators that spend most of their time submerged in ponds and rivers, waiting to ambush prey.
Box turtles are small, docile omnivores, contently roaming their forest and meadow habitats in search of plants and insects to eat.
This article will highlight the key differences between these fascinating turtles in anatomy, habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation status.
Summary Table:
| Category | Snapping Turtle | Box Turtle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chelydra serpentina | Terrapene carolina |
| Size | Carapace up to 19 inches | Carapace 4-6 inches |
| Weight | Up to 35 lbs | 1-2 lbs |
| Lifespan | 30-47 years | 30-40 years |
| Habitat | Ponds, marshes, rivers | Forests, meadows |
| Behavior | Aggressive | Shy, docile |
| Diet | Omnivorous | Omnivorous |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
Snapping Turtle vs. Box Turtle: 20 Key Differences
1. Size
The common snapping turtle is rather giant, averaging between 15-35 inches in length. Some individuals can even grow over 2 feet long, with huge specimens reaching lengths of nearly 3 feet from head to tail. They have a vast and stocky body.
In contrast, the eastern box turtle is tiny, usually reaching between 4-6 inches in length as an adult. They have a much smaller frame than the robust snapping turtle.
2. Shell Shape
The carapace (upper shell) of the common snapping turtle is smooth with a single, solid piece that has a jagged rear edge. The plastron (lower shell) is relatively tiny, cross-shaped, and lacking a hinge.
The box turtle has a high-domed carapace divided into sections that allow it to close itself up inside its shell completely. Its plastron is much bigger than the snapping turtle’s and is hinged across the front edge.
3. Neck Length
Snapping turtles have an extremely long necks spanning most of the length of their shell, which allows them to strike rapidly at prey. They can swiftly dart out and reach items nearly a body length away.
Box turtles have a much shorter, thicker neck in proportion to their body size. When fully retracted, their head tucks entirely inside the shell.
4. Tail
As snapping turtles mature, they develop prominent, saw-toothed ridges along the top surface of their long, thick tail. This aids them while swimming. They use their muscular tail as a rudder to steer through the water.
The short tail of a box turtle has no such ridges. It also tends to be thinner, faster, and more tapered to a blunt point compared to the broad tail of a snapping turtle.
5. Habitat
Snapping turtles live in the water and mud of shallow ponds, marshes, wetlands, slow streams, and river backwaters.
Here, they can be fully submerged and hidden while awaiting prey. They prefer quiet, calm waters with soft bottoms and plenty of aquatic vegetation.
Alternatively, box turtles thrive on land in forested habitats with sandy soil and leaf litter, as well as moist meadows and marshy grasslands nearby for foraging.
They spend most of their time burrowed under decaying wood and vegetation amid semi-wet environments.
6. Dietary Preferences
Common snapping turtles have powerful jaws, enabling them to be primarily carnivorous. They use their long neck to perform ambush attacks on fish, frogs, snakes, ducks, small mammals, and even other turtles from under the water. They are indiscriminate predators that will eat any meat they can seize.
Eastern box turtles are much more docile as they feed on an omnivorous diet of berries, flower blossoms, fruits, seeds, slugs, worms, carrion, and fungi foraged from the forest floor. Their varied diet allows them to thrive in wooded habitats.
7. Temperament
As their name implies, snapping turtles have an extremely aggressive nature, especially if threatened or handled.
They quickly snap their sharp beaks, lash out, hiss, and bite when defending themselves from perceived predators. Their powerful jaws can easily crush bone and amputate fingers, so they must be handled carefully.
Box turtles are generally gentle, calm, and peaceful turtles. When scared, they usually retract their head and limbs safely inside their shell until feeling secure enough to come back out. Their shy and reserved personality makes them easy to maintain as pets.
8. Mating
Common snapping turtles do not reach sexual maturity until at least 8-10 years old. After emerging from hibernation, males will pursue and forcefully mate with any females they encounter in the springtime. They do not form lasting bonds or partnerships.
Eastern box turtles take 4-5 years to reach maturity but tend to be monogamous once paired up. Males perform an elaborate mating dance to entice females before reproduction. These loyal bonds often continue for years or even the lifetime of the turtles.
9. Nesting
Female snapping turtles leave the water in May or June, seeking sandy banks and soil to excavate nests for their eggs, which incubate for approximately 80-90 days. The hatchlings then emerge and make their way straight to the nearest water source.
From May to July, female eastern box turtles also venture onto land up to a mile away from their home territory to find suitable nesting spots with plenty of sunlight to incubate their eggs for 60-80 days before hatching. The young stay in their nest through their first winter.
10. Predators
Snapping turtle hatchlings suffer high mortality rates, with less than 1% reaching adulthood. Raccoons, crows, bullfrogs, fish, snakes, and other predators feast on the young, vulnerable turtles.
Their eggs are also widely consumed, even by adult snapping turtles. Their thick shell and fierce defensive bites help protect older turtles.
Eastern box turtles face threats from skunks, foxes, and birds of prey but have an exceptionally long lifespan if they make it to adulthood, thanks to their highly protective shell.
It provides an impenetrable fortress against most predators trying to get past the movable plastron that enables them to seal themselves inside wholly.
11. Longevity
Common snapping turtles generally live 30-40 years but can potentially reach ages over 100 years old in ideal conditions. Their resilience enables decades of breeding over their long lives.
Remarkably, eastern box turtles can actually surpass the longevity of snapping turtles, sometimes living over 138 years! Their defensive shell adaptations allow centuries of survival once reaching maturity after just 4-5 years.
12. Growth Rate
Snapping turtles grow continuously throughout their very long lives. They reach sexual maturity once hitting 8-10 years old and a shell length of around 11 inches but continue expanding afterward, adding around an extra inch of shell length each ensuing year.
Eastern box turtles have a much slower growth rate, reaching full maturity in a shell length under 6 inches long, then minimal shell expansion afterward. Their small body remains highly unchanged year after year, allowing extended lifespans.
13. Cold Tolerance
Common snapping turtles readily adapt to cold temperatures by burrowing into silt at the bottom of water bodies before the water surface freezes over.
Their slow metabolism and decreased physiological functions allow survival in frigid conditions all winter long while awaiting spring’s thaw.
Eastern box turtles also hibernate below frost lines but select more terrestrial overwintering shelters underbrush or wood debris that give insulation without being directly exposed to freezing water.
They become entirely inactive and shut down metabolic processes until warmer weather returns months later.
14. Conservation Status
The common snapping turtle is classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its extensive range and ubiquitous population, with over 11,000,000 adults estimated across North America.
Their adaptability provides resilience against habitat threats. Hunting and road accidents can pose local pressures.
The eastern box turtle is currently listed as vulnerable as habitat fragmentation continues to diminish their once-abundant populations.
Loss of woodland areas makes finding adequate food and nesting sites more challenging long-term for the shy creatures as deforestation in eastern states endangers localized colonies.
15. Aquatic Adaptations
- Snapping turtles have webbed feet for swimming. Box turtles have terrestrial feet and cannot swim.
16. Speed
- Snapping turtles are generally slow on land. Box turtles are also slow-moving when not sprinting from threats.
17. Anti-predator Defenses
- The primary defenses of snapping turtles are biting and retreating into water. Box turtles rely on their shells and camouflage coloration to stay hidden from predators when motionless.
18. Taxonomy
- There are just one or two species and subspecies of snapping turtles. There are four subspecies of Eastern box turtle and two subspecies of Western box turtle.
19. Intelligence
- Snapping turtles have simple brains designed for basic behaviors like hunting, mating, and fighting. Box turtles display complex spatial memory and homing abilities.
20. Lifespan
- Snapping turtles can reach 30-47 years. Box turtles have similar longevity, spanning 30-40 years.
What is the difference between a box turtle and a snapping turtle?
Here are some of the critical differences between box turtles and snapping turtles:
- Size: Snapping turtles are much more giant, with shell lengths up to 19 inches, compared to just 4-6 inches for box turtles. Snapping turtles can weigh up to 35 pounds, while box turtles weigh 1-2 pounds.
- Habitat: Box turtles prefer terrestrial habitats like forests and meadows, whereas snapping turtles spend most of their time in aquatic habitats like ponds, marshes, rivers, and streams.
- Behavior: Box turtles are timid and docile. Snapping turtles are aggressive and will bite when threatened.
- Appearance: Box turtles have colorful skin with ornate shell patterns, while snapping turtles have spiked shells and claws for aquatic life.
- Eggs/Offspring: Snapping turtles lay 20-40 eggs in a clutch, much more than the 2-8 eggs laid by box turtles.
- Diet: Snapping turtles are more carnivorous, eating animals like fish, frogs, birds, and even other turtles. Box turtles have a more omnivorous diet of plants, fungi, and insects.
- Digging Ability: Box turtles dig burrows, especially to survive cold winters, while snapping turtles cannot dig and stay in aquatic habitats year-round.
- Conservation Status: Many box turtle subspecies are threatened (Vulnerable status), but snapping turtles are still relatively widespread and abundant (Least Concerned status).
In essence, snapping turtles are more giant, semi-aquatic predators, whereas box turtles are smaller, docile, terrestrial omnivores. Their physiology, habitat preferences, life history, and behavior differ in many aspects.
Conclusion
In summary, while snapping turtles and box turtles are both fascinating turtle species, they have pronounced differences when it comes to taxonomy, anatomy, habitat preferences, behavior, predation patterns, and conservation needs.
By understanding their distinct evolutionary histories and ecologies, we can better safeguard the existence of both these unique reptiles for generations to come.
Protecting specialized wetland habitats will preserve snapping turtles, while habitat fragmentation is the biggest threat facing box turtles. Ultimately, all turtles play crucial roles in balancing vibrant ecosystems.
