They're probably having trouble identifying it because it's so far from a native species. I'm very familiar with the species, it didn't take any research on my part, because I've had several in my reptile/amphibian collections. I'm sure if i was trying to identify some strange looking asian species that i found in the US, it'd probably take me a few days also, if i had no knowledge of where it came from.

DEZERTSKIES :

with respect these people are supposed to be experts , which in my estimation assumes at the very least a degree in biology / and or years of experience with animal work .

now working from the " obvious " given that it is a turtule or related creature , i would expect that an expert worthy of the title , could match the charatcteristics of a specimin they were presented with to the published recognician nd dstiguishing freatures tables for turtle

there are only a finite number world wide


and such distinguishing features as the 3 ridges on the shelll would quickly narrow it down

thats what i meant

That reminds me of the pet snapper I had as a child. It just got way to big for me to handle anymore (plus slightly dangerous). We made a sauce piquante out of it. Really delicious. That one looks to small though.

I am trying to be as serious as I can be about it. You would think that even a biologist in China would have been able to identify it.

Now I'm hungry.

It's definately a snapping turtle. I've seen them lots of times when I went camping in the past. I've even seen them having secks. They are surprisingly loud. Also one time I was swimming at a beach up north and I began to hear these weird noises beside me like when a whale blows out it's blowhole, so I started to look around and there was a big ****ing 30 pound+ snapping turtle sitting right beside me, looking at me. I didn't go swimming again all that week. I've seen how those things can snap down, and they don't let go, ever.

I'm pretty sure that's the kind of turtle I found in the suburbs of florida....
I was outside about 3 years ago, there's a yardsale across the street, and underneath on of the cars, about to waddle across the road, is that turtle. The guy across the street trys to push it into an empty garbage can with a broomstick, so he can take it somewhere it won't get run over, and this thing jumps about 18 inches into the air, and bites the broomstick in two! i was all,"woah!"

It wa the most awesome amphibian experience I've ever had.

thats one freaky looking turtle i must say. it does look like a snapping turtle or whatever the are called, is it just me or does this ones head seem slightly more bony?
might just be me its to early lol

Ally snappers are not the nicest things in the world. living in florida, I would know. They are vicious little #s that if they grab hold of something, they won't let go.

There area few snappers:

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Aligator Snapping Turtle



Common Snappping Turtle

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Northern Snapping Turtle (could very well be the same as the common one.)


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Snapping Turtle on a stick.

fficial%26sa%3DN" target="_blank" class="postlink"> Japanese eat it

We eat it


Mouth Open, for better idea of similarity.

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2 headed snapper

A big snapper can cut through flesh:

source

There are reports of hunters losing fingers to the snappers they were catching for dinner.


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Hit and run.

[edit on 15-8-2006 by jlc163]

There are quite a few alligator snapping turtles in Florida, found one in a grove crossing a road one time. It was only a little over a foot around.

They didn't get the name snapping turtle for nothing. I put a stick in front of his mouth that was about an inch thick, he grabbed it and snapped it in half like it was nothing.

Just had a thought as reading this, from the beginning I could see it was a snapper of some variety and I don't even live in the states. Turtles are pretty well travelled creatures, the ones that live in the seas can travel tens of thousdands of miles using the ocean currents, while I agree that this could be a pet let loose, if this is species migration can snappers live in salty water, I thought they were fresh water? If so then you mioght find if it isn't an isolated turtle that there are definately going to be a lot more of these around.

I saw a show several years ago on one of the nature channels in which a former poacher was being interviewed. He had hunted alligator snapping turtles, and other animals in the swamps of FL-GA, and claimed to have bagged three of over 400lbs. He claimed that one of the largest and oldest of them had musket balls embedded in it's shell! Think about that; it had to be large enough to survive being hit with musket balls that long ago! He said he estimated the turtles age at over 300 yrs.

The AST is truely a living relic and much more should be done to preserve them.

You ate your pet? That's pretty nasty!

I couldn't imagine doing that, even to a pet turtle.

Hey now, different cultures practice different things. Regardless of how much sentiment you hold for an animal, it can always be a source of food and nutrition, so stop being so soft!!

People raise pet pigs, ducks, chickens and Turkeys only to eat them.


Anyways, its about time China starts feelign some invasive species. North America is littered with so many invasive species its crippling some of our own natural ecosystems. Now China can know what it feels like.