: either of two large American freshwater turtles (family Chelydridae) with a large head, powerful jaws, a long tail, and a strong musky odor:
a
: one (Chelydra serpentina) that has the head covered with smooth skin, has large plates in a double row on the underside of the tail, and is distributed from eastern Canada to Central America
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This was more like a caterpillar body with odd patterns on its plates and a snapping turtle mouth.—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 9 June 2025 The famed snapping turtle was spotted basking in the Chicago River this week.—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2025 The etchings reflect the 13-month lunar calendars the tribes used, with a different design on each of the 13 scales on a snapping turtle’s back.—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025 Anchored to what is called a seawall, a wetland ecosystem for a diverse range of wildlife — including beavers, muskrats, snapping turtles and all types of insects, bats, and fish — has been created by mostly volunteers.—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snapping turtle
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